Those who love their Delhi are deeply pained to see its beautiful landscape being disfigured by posters, hoardings, slogans and other write-ups.  This nuisance is created by the henchmen of the unscrupulous politicians, businessmen and other unruly elements.

Numerous leading citizens and public organizations have voiced their concern in the media and elsewhere about this senseless defacement. Even the top brass of the political parties, when approached with the complaints, brazenly refuse to acknowledge that their party men are doing this disservice to Delhi.

Some people rightly comment that administrative reforms in the capital are introduced and carried out only at the intervention of the courts. Therefore, tired and frustrated by the apathy of the government and the politicians, advocate Monika Arora filed a PIL in the Delhi High Court “complaining that authorities did nothing to prevent rampant disfigurement of public places and properties, including that of the Metro, mainly by political parties and their student wings during elections.”

A Bench headed by Justice T.S. Thakur directed the Delhi government to enact a prohibitive legislation against defacement of public property.
The government informed the court on Wednesday, the 16th January, that a new Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Bill with the stringent penal provision was introduced in the Delhi Assembly on December 26, 2007.

This law is purported to be more stringent as the court pointed out that the previously adopted West Bengal Prevention of Defacement of Public Places Act with a maximum fine of Rs 1,000 was not an effective deterrent.