Pimpri Chinchwad: PCMC to Implement Structural Audit Format for Billboards; People Related to 24 Illegal Hoardings Booked

Following the Ghatkopar hoarding tragedy which killed 17, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has started taking action against unauthorised billboard holders in the city. So far it booked, people concerned with 24 illegal hoardings and will soon implement new structural audit format for legal hoarding.

In the survey conducted by the PCMC, 24 illegal billboard holders, advertisement holders, and premises owners have been booked under Section 336 of the Indian Penal Code, Section 3 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act 1995, and Sections 244 and 245 of the Municipal Corporation Act 1888.

A case has been registered at the police station.

20 hordings removed till now

In a meeting with the billboard holders, Pimpri Chinchwad Commissioner Shekhar Singh had directed them to remove the unauthorised billboards. During the period from May 15 to May 20, 2024, the Municipal Corporation conducted a survey of unauthorised advertisement boards and found 24 unauthorised advertisement boards.

A total of 20 unauthorised advertisement boards in the city have been removed in the eviction action taken by the Municipal Corporation so far. Among them, 9 boards have been removed by the Municipal Corporation, and 11 unauthorised boards have been removed by the board holders themselves.

Singh said that cases have been registered against all unauthorised board holders found in the survey and that action is underway to remove all unauthorised boards.

New structural audit format

"A new structural audit format will be implemented for the board holders by the Municipal Corporation. This will enable billboard holders to comply with government regulations and avoid evading the responsibility of erecting safe billboards. Regular surveys of hoardings and action against unauthorised hoardings are an ongoing process and will continue. Such action instructions have been given to all the field officers," he added.

Along with 24 unauthorised billboards, an additional 341 billboards were also found in the survey violating size norms. The process of issuing notices to these billboard holders regarding the revision of board size has been started.

Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Khot informed that if there is no change in the rules, action will be taken to remove the hoarding.

Meanwhile, a case was registered against two persons at the MIDC Bhosari police station on behalf of the municipal corporation after a hoarding collapsed in Moshi on May 16.

"The space owner and advertisement holder should ensure that no life or financial loss is caused due to the carelessness of the advertisement board holder while installing a hoarding on an iron structure in any private or public place. Also, the advertisement holder should ensure that while installing the advertisement board within the limits of the Municipal Corporation, the advertisement board holder has taken proper permission from the sky sign and licensing department. If permission is not taken or rules are found to be violated, legal action will be taken against the concerned advertisement holder, space owner, as well as board holder," the civic body noted.