At the last Goa Assembly elections, in a total collapse in the administration, we witnessed a blatant defacement of public property across the State. The defacement of public property began months before even the elections were announced. It was a sheer display of political wealth and absolute arrogance by all political parties making Goa a defaced poster and graffiti State. The Goa Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1988 is a very stringent law, making such defacement of property a cognizable offence. While the Election Commission officials chose to look the other way, the two District Magistrates also conveniently opted to remain mere spectators while not exercising the powers vested in them in this deliberate breach of law. It was the responsibility of the authorities to crack down with a very heavy hand against these barefaced violators who needed to be punished for all this gross defacement of State property. What is further highly objectionable is that in this highhanded defacement even the roundabouts in our cities and villages were not spared. The Election Commission must take concrete steps to ensure that such breach of law never ever repeats.
