Deccan Chronicle 30.06.2010
Illegal hoardings now under BBMP scanner
June 29: Mayor S.K. Nataraj said on Tuesday Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) may take on the responsibility of handling hoarding spaces instead of leasing them out to agencies, to plug the revenue leaks in the display of hoardings and advertisements in the city.
Addressing reporters after the council meeting, Mr Nataraj said BBMP was earning a mere Rs 20 crore annually from hoardings and advertisements as against the target of Rs 200 crore. “Many advertising agencies obtain a stay on a particular hoarding space and misuse the court order for multiple hoardings, depriving BBMP of its revenue,” he explained, adding that a final decison would be taken on the matter after consulting all party leaders, the deputy mayor and the corporation’s legal wing.
The BBMP is in the process of preparing a list of hoardings and their sizes across the city and is mapping them using the Geographical Information System (GIS).
It hopes to identify the illegal hoardings this way and approach the courts to remove them. “If BBMP takes over the responsibility of handling advertisement spaces, there could be fewer illegal hoardings in the city. We will be able to make sure they were of the right sizes and that they complied with all advertisement bye-laws. No Hoarding Zones too will be strictly observed,” the mayor added.
BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena said information on the hoardings was being digitised and would be available online. Opposition leader in the BBMP council N. Nagaraj claimed there were about 5000 unauthorised hoardings in the city.
