Hoardings to go, new rules await final Government nod

Hoardings to go, new rules await final Government nod
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Hoardings, which mean a mess not only for the cityscape but also for Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s finances, will soon be brought down.

BMP has decided not to renew hoarding licences, which expire this month-end. Most hoardings are erected without licence, causing a loss to BMP, which can account for only 953 hoardings on its website.

BMP had also stopped issuing new licences since last year as the new advertisement rules were notified in the official gazette. BMP sources said no licence would be renewed as a final notification is expected on the new rules along with new guidelines and new tariff plan.

Meanwhile, the committee on hoardings, which is headed by mayor Mumtaz Begum, is yet to decide whether boards should be banned.

Interestingly, even as the civic budget included revenue of Rs 12 crore from hoardings, the budget speech had said hoardings would be banned. Hoarding agencies took the BMP for a ride using loopholes in the 50-year-old ad rules.

According to old rules, if an agency applies for a licence and the BMP does not respond within 45 days, the licence is deemed sanctioned. And agencies would apply at some ARO office and wait for the mandatory 45 days and go ahead with hoardings. Added to that is the strong team of advocates with the hoarding lobby.

Whenever BMP tried to take action, the hoarding agencies would obtain a stay immediately and based on one stay-order, put up more hoardings. A weak legal cell and toothless enforcement department of BMP only helped the hoarding lobby.

But BMP seems to be committed to act this time. "We will not renew any licences and till a decision is taken, the hoardings would be removed," said sources.