When it comes to banner rule, parties pay only lip service

Both ruling and Opposition parties continue to put up banners everywhere

The rules on the erection of banners and cutouts in the Union Territory have been watered down by successive governments over the years, thanks to poor enforcement by local bodies and promises by political parties remaining only lip service. The flagrant violation of the directions of the government banning the erection of cutouts and other graffiti can be seen quite often; particularly the parties which champion the point that no banner should be erected are the first to violate when they come to power. In 2016, the government tweaked the conditions laid down in the Puducherry Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement Act) 2009, which envisaged a blanket ban on erection of banners, flex boards, and hoardings in order to meet the demands from various corners and to bring some revenue to the cash-starved local bodies.