Delhi will register first information reports against people who put up illegal posters and hoardings on public property, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Friday as the government intensified cleanliness and public-space management measures ahead of Diwali.
At a review meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, Gupta directed department heads to remove unauthorised posters, banners, garbage, debris and other clutter from government buildings and adjoining areas. Officials said action against those responsible for defacing public property would be taken under the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007.
The chief minister directed senior officials to carry out field inspections across the city and ensure that roads, intersections, flyovers, markets, residential areas and other public spaces remain clean and adequately lit during the festive season. She expressed displeasure over unauthorised advertising material on roads, flyovers, pillars, government buildings and market areas and ordered its immediate removal.
“FIRs will be registered under the relevant law against those defacing Delhi by putting up illegal posters and hoardings on public properties,” Gupta said, according to the report. “Additionally, all govt premises and adjoining areas will be cleared of garbage and debris to ensure cleanliness ahead of Diwali.”
The directions place responsibility on government departments to combine enforcement with routine maintenance in areas that see increased public activity during the festival period. The review also covered road dust, staff shortages and the need for prompt action when civic services or cleaning operations are affected.
Officials were asked to conduct inspections on the ground rather than rely only on departmental reviews. The measures extend beyond government premises to adjoining public areas, including transport-related structures such as flyovers and intersections, as well as markets and residential neighbourhoods.
The announcement brings enforcement under the 2007 Defacement Act into a wider pre-Diwali cleanliness drive. It also highlights the administrative challenge of maintaining public spaces when illegal advertising, accumulated waste, debris and road dust are addressed by different departments and field teams.
The government’s immediate next steps are the removal of unauthorised posters and hoardings, field inspections, cleaning of government premises and surrounding areas, action to control road dust, and measures to address staff shortages. Officials are also expected to ensure adequate lighting across identified public spaces during the festive season.
