The district administration and the Mysuru City Corporation were directed to crack down on ‘’flex culture’’ in the city and surrounding regions as they were emerging as an eyesore in public areas.
The issue came up during the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting held here on Friday. Mysuru MP Pratap Simha instructed the Deputy Commissioner Bagadi Gautham and MCC Commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy to crack down on the current practice of hoisting life-size banners and buntings containing images of local political leaders.
The ‘’flex culture’’ – as it is derisively called – has proliferated in recent years and tends to be either wishes extended by the minions of the local grassroots politician or the latter wishing people on festival occasions. The number of flexes increases ahead of festivals and is visually jarring and is more so along the Outer Ring Road, highway leading to Hinkal and within the city during political meetings and rallies of prominent leaders.
The DC and the MCC Commissioner were told that a drive should be conducted to put down the flexes and they were reminded by Mr. Simha that the MCC council had passed a resolution against flexes and hoardings and this should be complied with.
Mr. Simha said local officials should start issuing notice to the political parties to which the leaders owe allegiance and suggested that the authorities can start by penalising the BJP if need be.
He said the practice of hoisting flexes and buntings had increased during the last two years. While the MCC should crack down in its jurisdiction, the district administration should ensure that the outskirts are flex-free.
The officials said they have issued notices to a few persons in this connection but this has not desisted them from continuing with the practice. The MP cited Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act and directed the officials to lodge a police complaint and prosecute them as per the provisions of the law.
This is not the first time that such an order has been issued and though the MCC officials have time and again launched drives to remove the flex, they tend to surface after a few days. Apart from extending birthday wishes, festival greetings etc, flex and banners are also used to make death announcements and place obituariwa and are never removed due to deference and sensitivity of the issue.
