Team Goemkarponn
CALANGUTE: In the wake of a recent incident where a shop’s LED screen allegedly displayed the slogan “Pakistan Zindabad”, the Calangute Panchayat has announced a blanket ban on all LED display boards in the area.
Sarpanch Joseph Sequeira said the panchayat has tightened its licensing norms, requiring all new applicants to submit a written declaration confirming that no LED boards will be installed on their premises. He warned that any violation would result in immediate confiscation of the display units by the panchayat authorities.
The panchayat will also launch a removal drive in the coming days to take down all existing LED boards as part of preventive measures to avoid similar controversies in the future.
According to Sequeira, the decision was taken to safeguard public order and communal harmony, amid growing concerns about the misuse of digital signage.
The move has sparked divided opinions among locals — while some residents have welcomed the strict step as necessary for maintaining peace, others, especially business owners, fear it could adversely affect advertising and promotion in the state’s leading tourist belt.
