Has BMP really banned hoardings?

Has BMP really banned hoardings?
The Hindu

Officials are worried that efforts made to amend advertisement bylaws will go in vain if the ban is imposed

BANGALORE: Has the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) really announced a ban on hoardings? Or has it made way for a modified mode of advertisement through electronic advertisement display boards? These are the questions being asked in BMP circles.

While the ruling Congress in the BMP is all set to impose the ban after the budget is approved on Monday, sources in the BMP told The Hindu on Friday that this proposal was aimed only at introducing electronic display boards for advertising.

"The budget proposal means that the BMP wants to put an end to one form of advertisements and take off with an advanced mode. How can this be called a ban? We are afraid the electronic mode of advertisement might itself turn into a new scam. The BMP should consider the pros and cons before going ahead," sources said.

Lobbying

While top officials in the BMP are worried that all efforts made to amend the advertisement bylaws last year will go in vain if the ban is imposed, sources said that the hoarding and outdoor advertising firms had started lobbying for the withdrawal of the ban. "They have approached Mayor Mumtaz Begum and top officials in the BMP in this regard. They are also trying to convince the Government and get the proposal revoked," the sources said.

When a similar ban was announced in the budget for 2002-2003, the BMP was forced to bow to the strong advertising lobby and withdraw the ban. But at least serious attempts were made to clear the city of illegal hoardings then.

In 1999, during the tenure of the former Mayor M. Ramchandrappa, the BMP had banned hoardings on all its property, and the revenue loss was estimated at Rs. 3 crores.

Criticism

The BMP's Advertisement Department has always been under criticism for its "inefficiency" to check unauthorised hoardings. While official figures point out that there are over 1,500 hoardings in the city, sources said that half of them have been put up without any authorisation from the BMP.

Of the 300 private hoarding companies who have registered with the BMP, only 75 had renewed their licence till last year and over 68 companies owed the BMP over Rs. 90 lakhs as advertisement tax.

The advertisement firms have been allegedly cheating the BMP over a period of time. While the firms pay Rs. 17,000 a year to the BMP for a standard size hoarding of 24x12 ft, they charge lakhs of rupees from their clients every month. Besides, they not only put up hoardings larger than the prescribed size but also more than the permitted number, according to sources.