When the MLA and Mayor Lead in Defacing the City, Who Will Bell the Cat?
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ December 8,2025
While on one hand the Bhagwant Mann–led Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab is seeking new ways to improve taxation, the Local Bodies Department is losing large-scale revenue due to evasion of outdoor advertising fees—courtesy of its own party MLA and Mayor.
The Patiala Municipal Corporation routinely issues challans to business establishments that flout laws. However, the MC does not issue challans to political leaders who also display advertisements illegally, in clear violation of the Outdoor Advertisement Act.
Nobody in the MC dares to remove such unipoles, flex boards, hoardings, or gantries. Apart from causing visual defacement, these illegal installations result in substantial financial losses for the Municipal Corporation.
According to sources, even the state government is paying rent to the Patiala Municipal Corporation for displaying its achievements, announcements, and schemes on gantries and arc-media unipoles reserved specifically for Punjab government advertisements.
“We don’t touch or remove political advertisements, or any advertisement carrying the photos of political leaders, because of their influence. There is fear of action from senior political bosses if any employee dares to do his job sincerely,” said an employee of the Local Bodies Department.
When contacted, Patiala Urban MLA Ajitpal Singh Kohli claimed ignorance about the illegal unipoles and gantries still in place. He said, “I had put up the unipoles, gantries, and advertising media as a customary gesture when AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann sanctioned Rs 75 crore for the development works of Shri Kali Devi Mandir in Patiala in October this year. Those advertisements were put up for 2–3 days. If they (MC Patiala) have not removed them, you may ask them. Moreover, the MC might not have received any media (advertisements to be displayed on those unipoles) and that’s why they might not have removed them.”
When asked whether it looks appropriate to display advertisements of an event held nearly 40 days ago, he responded, “Do you have any problem with my photo? Isn’t it better to display something than to leave the unipoles empty?”
On being questioned why such large advertisements did not catch his attention, he said, “I didn’t notice them.”
When contacted, Mayor of Patiala Municipal Corporation Kundan Gogia said, “Now that you have brought it to my notice, I will order their removal. They will be removed tomorrow.”
“This act by the ruling party’s MLA and Mayor is unexpected. They are the caretakers of the city. They should not put up these self-photographed advertisements, and they should instruct officials to remove them if their supporters do so. They should set a trend. Why are they using government media without depositing the government fee? Something seems fishy in this entire process,” said Parminder Singh, govt employee.
