Presently a hectic drive is on throughout the capital city of Delhi for having a size-restriction of sign-boards of establishments in different markets of the city providing newly installed sign-boards not to cross rollers of the shutters of the shops. Trade-associations are co-operating in the drive launched at anti-encroachment orders by the Supreme Court. Such a useful drive preventing shopkeepers to encroach public-space reminds of similar drive in emergency-era of 1975-77 when sign-boards of all shops had uniform design-structure and made the city beautiful like pink-city of Jaipur.
But trade-associations can arrange some common agency to prepare sign-boards for their member-establishments with uniform design-structure in two styles, one normal sign-board for less-affording establishments and the other fancy sign-boards for affording establishments but of common shape and design. Moreover, having a linear size-restriction of 9 feet is not proper which should be changed to front-length of establishments. However size-restriction of 3 feet on height can be maintained. Having a common agency for preparing sign-boards will be economical also where price can be bargained by trade-associations with ensured use of better-quality material.
Anti-encroachment drive launched at direction of Supreme Court thus can be made even more useful for beautifying the city. Rather Delhi government through newspaper-advertisements and otherwise can issue advisories in this regard.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
