Srinagar, May 30: Even as authorities are busy organising rallies to make people aware about hazards of polythene, as part of ban imposed on its use in Jammu and Kashmir, Congress workers have virtually draped the city in polythene to welcome party chief Sonia Gandhi and chief ministers of Congress-ruled states in the city. More than 3 lakh polythene buntings, two lakh paper posters and 20,000 cloth banners have been put up in the city for the last two days with authorities not only witnessing as mute spectators but also facilitating and assisting the Congress workers in defacing the city. PCC sources said it received a huge consignment of buntings, posters and banners last week, for which orders were placed a month ago, adding Congress workers and seva dal members hoisted these buntings from Srinagar airport to the venue of the conclave.
The buntings, posters and banners have also been put up in the green belt in Dal Lake where hoisting of banners, flags or polythene buntings is strictly prohibited, prompting environmentalists to say they feel the polythene would go in the lake if not disposed of after the event. All posters and other such material had been removed from the public places and road signs recently by the government but today the very same poles and road signs were pasted with folded hands posters of Sonia Gandhi.
A two-day conclave of Congress chief ministers is being held in the city from today. Bureau Report