The Hindu   02.03.2017   

Places identified for banners

Local Administration Department to float tenders soon

The Local Administration Department will soon float tenders inviting
bidders for display of banners and cutouts at designated places in
Puducherry and Oulgaret municipalities. The Department has finalised the
list of spaces and it has decided to use them to ensure optimal revenue
for the cash-strapped municipalities.

“The Local Administration
Department will have the powers to permit hoardings and banners at 20
designated spaces each within the jurisdiction of Puducherry and
Oulgaret municipalities. The erection of banners will be controlled only
to the designated spaces to protect the city’s aesthetics. The new set
of regulations to erect banners and cut-outs would come into force from
April 1,” Secretary to Local Administration Department P. Jawahar told
The Hindu

The government has already tweaked the conditions laid down in
the Puducherry Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement Act) 2009, in
order to meet the demands from various corners and to bring some revenue
to the cash-starved local bodies.

Ever since the ban was
enforced, there have been allegations by the opposition parties that the
municipalities were allowing the ruling party in the State to put up
banners against the ban while removing ones erected by other parties.

The
Act had envisaged a blanket ban on erection of banners, flex boards and
hoardings. The municipalities are also crippled due to lack of revenue
generation and flexibility in rules is expected to streamline and bring
in additional revenue to the municipalities.

“The government has
also revised the rates for display of banners, hoardings and cut-outs in
the two municipal areas. The rates were last revised only in 1973 when
the Puducherry Municipalities Act came into force. The revised rates
have been fixed at Rs. 200 per square metre,” Mr. Jawahar said.

The designated spaces will be tendered out for a specific period.