Deadline passes, posters stay put on Ernakulam Collectorate walls
Old habits die hard, and nowhere is that more evident than on the walls of the Civil Station at Kakkanad. Despite a decision to remove
Old habits die hard, and nowhere is that more evident than on the walls of the Civil Station at Kakkanad. Despite a decision to remove campaign materials affixed by various service organisations on the walls of the district administration complex by August 1, several posters continue to dot the walls and pillars of the five-storey building. The decision to curb the rampant display of posters and flex boards on the premises of the civil station was taken at a meeting of service forums associated with various political parties on June 20.
At the meeting, it was decided that a designated space would be allotted at the northern entrance of the civil station for organisations to display their announcements. Though the promised space — five notice boards covering an entire wall — was allotted promptly, posters continue to occupy the walls in several parts of the building. Though several posters have been removed following the decision, associations affiliated with all major political parties have refused to remove all the campaign materials.
Posters announcing protests and meetings of the CPI(M)-backed Kerala NGO Union and the Congress-affiliated Kerala NGO Association are among those remaining on the walls. The NGO Union has also hung posters in different parts of the building instead of pasting them on the walls. “Our stand is that campaign materials should be displayed on all floors without defacing the walls. The decision to display them only at one designated spot is impractical as employees enter and exit the building through other entrances as well,” an NGO Union leader said.
He added that whatever is left on the walls would be removed in the coming days. A leader of the NGO Association, meanwhile, said all organisations had arrived at a consensus on the common space and that any deviation from the plan would defeat the purpose of the initiative.
The BriefWire