Mangaluru : The Dakshina Kannada district administration has decided to scrutinise the content of all banners, hoardings and flexes before allowing them to be displayed in public places.

Urban local bodies and gram panchayats will check them before issuing licences. This will be a precautionary measure to mitigate the flare up of communal feelings.

Deputy Commissioner A.B. Ibrahim told a peace committee meeting here on Wednesday that all banners, hoardings and flexes having provocative contents would be removed in the district within a week.

He suggested gram panchayats organise “gramotsavas” to strengthen harmony through cultural and sports activities in village level.

P.I. Sreevidya, Chief Executive Officer, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchyat, said that each GP should constitute a peace committee and conduct meetings at regular intervals to ensure unity in villages. Mr. Ibrahim said that it was unfortunate that communal tension has marred the image of Dakshina Kannada which is at the forefront of education, health, human development index, preventing infant mortality, maternal care.

Trouble makers were taking the advantage of the “silence” of the majority, he said.

The Deputy Commissioner said that police, law and sending troublemakers to jails were not the only panacea to end unrest and it required the cooperation and efforts by citizens of the district.

He said that youths from Dakshina Kannada, taking the law into their hands and being jailed in in Kalaburgi and Ballari was not a good sign. It had damaged the reputation of the district and their future. The Deputy Commissioner said that Kodagu remained calm after the recent clashes but its impact spread to Dakshina Kannada.