By IANS
New Delhi : Those defacing public places in the capital will face stringent action as the central government has cleared a notification for a special law for the purpose.
Senior counsel P.P. Malhotra, appearing for the central government, told a Delhi High Court division bench of Justices T.S. Thakur and Aruna Suresh Wednesday that permission has been given to the Delhi government to come out with its own law to punish those who deface public places by putting up posters.
Counsel for the Delhi government also informed the court that the state was ready with the law and will bring it into effect latest by April. The court fixed April 3 as next date of hearing in this matter.
According to the Delhi Defacement of Public Property Bill, 2007, those found guilty of defacing public property would have to pay a fine of Rs.50,000 or will be jailed for a year.
The new law would replace the existing West Bengal Defacement Act that is in effect in several states to curb defacement of public properties.
The Delhi government has also directed authorities to set up 266 poster display sites all over the capital within two months, providing people a platform to paste their non-commercial posters without defacing public property.
The Delhi traffic police have given nod for installation of these boards – 87 in Public Works Department (PWD) controlled areas, 149 in Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) areas and the rest in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) controlled areas.