GHMC to restrict hoardings; to come up with service-centric ad policy

Hyderabad: Hyderabad will no longer have billboards and advertisement hoardings as the Directorate of Enforcement Vigilance & Disaster Management (EVDM) department of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) decided to make the city free of distraction, visual, safe, and aesthetically better, reports said.

In a report by The New Indian Express,Viswajit Kampati, director of the department was quoted as saying, “We will no longer allow any advertisement that challenges the aesthetic appeal of the city. Advertisements on shutters, signage boards, and neon glue boards must be taxed.”

“As per the norms of MA&UD’s GO 68, we will not have any advertising structures that serve no purpose or utility. We have come up with a service-centric ad policy,” Kampati told in the report.

The advertisers had installed several structures on the twin cities without paying taxes. Even a 50 per cent increase in advertising fees has not changed the number of advertising structures.

The corporation was expected to raise about 60 crores through a registered advertising structure, including 2,618 hoardings, 1,202 bus shelter advertisements, and other advertisements. However, it received only 60 percent of the expected revenue.

In addition, the corporation collected barely any tax from advertisements on wall paintings, flex boards, glass posters, pillar boards, paintings, stickers, flags, shop shutters, and signboards. The tax for such advertising is anywhere between Rs. 1,500 and 750 per square meter.