Thane: In a reply to a query, a Right to Information (RTI) report revealed that the poster of a movie 'Dharmaveer: Mukkam Post Thane' based on the life of Anand Dighe was displayed on 20 Tejaswini buses of Thane Municipal Transport (TMT) for the past one year free of cost.
The TMT has not received any income and lost lakhs of rupees as it could not display any other poster. The posters have not yet been removed from the buses even after a year of the movie's release.
Posters on 20 TMT buses
A social activist Rakesh Angre, who had sought information from the transport department through RTI said, “The condition of TMT buses is such that it is less for passenger service and more for repairs in the depot. On May 13 last year, the posters were pasted on 20 Tejaswini buses known as special buses for women and buses running under the JNNURM scheme.”
The TMT chairman Vilas Joshi informed that the transport administration failed to fetch any revenue.
Posters to be removed within a week
TMT manager Bhalchandra Behre said, “The posters will be removed within a week. We have directed officials in this regard.”
Behre avoided answering the questions about how these advertisements were put up without permission and the posters were kept on the bus for a year without permission and without a tender process even though there was no contractor.
Mangesh Desai, the producer of the film said, “I have no idea about the poster campaign as I was busy with the film exhibition.”
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