Defacing public property will lead to imprisonment
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Government enforces Prevention of Disfigurement Act in additional ULBs
Shimla April 10
In an effort to preserve the aesthetic beauty of the hill state, the State Government has decided to strictly enforce the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1985 in various newly constituted Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) as a punishable offence attracting both imprisonment and fine.
The Act, originally enacted to curb the unauthorized display of advertisements in public spaces, aims to prevent the defacement of public places by regulating the display of posters, notices, pictures, and signs on buildings, walls, trees, and other public properties. Under the provisions of the Act, no such advertisement may be displayed without prior written permission from the concerned local authority.
Initially, in 1985, the Act was made applicable to the Municipal Corporation of Shimla. Subsequently, through a notification issued in May 1991, it was extended to various Municipal Committees, Notified Area Committees, and Municipal Corporations across the state. However, the notification did not cover the newly formed ULBs that came into existence after 1991 due to administrative upgrades and expansion.
To bridge this gap and ensure uniform implementation, the State Government has enforced the Act in the left-out ULBs in April 2025. These include Municipal Corporations of Dharamshala, Palampur, Mandi, Solan, Baddi, Hamirpur and Una, Municipal Councils of Bilaspur, Ghumarwin, Sujanpur Tihra, Dehra, Jawalamukhi, Nagrota Bagwan, Manali, Jogindernagar, Nerchowk, Sarkaghat, Rohroo, Parwanoo, Mehatpur, Santokhgarh, Sunni, Nadaun, Baijnath and Paprola, and Nagar Panchayats of Jawali, Shahpur, Nirmand, Karsog, Chirgaon, Nerwa, Kandaghat, Amb, Tahliwal, Barsar, Sandhole, Dharampur, Baldwara, Bhoranj, Khundian, Nagrota Surian, Kotla, Jhandutta, Swarghat, Banikhet, Kunihar, Bangana, and Shillai.
With this enforcement, the Government aims to maintain the visual integrity and cleanliness of towns and cities while discouraging unauthorized and unsightly displays that mar the natural charm of the region.
