Mumbai: The Maharashtra Government has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to conduct a comprehensive audit of all outdoor advertising hoardings in Mumbai. After local legislators expressed concerns during a recent assembly, the findings of this audit will be shared in the forthcoming legislative session in July.
MLAs pointed out several discrepancies, especially concerning hoardings placed without the necessary permits. BJP MLA Ameet Satam mentioned an instance of a hoarding at Mulund Toll naka that has incurred fines for regulatory breaches, highlighting that it was authorized by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) but did not have required BMC approvals.
Industries Minister Uday Samant acknowledged these discrepancies, pointing out a major system defect: BMC’s daily penalty for illegal hoardings is just Rs 1,000, whereas the daily rental earnings from these hoardings total Rs 35,000. He stated that contractors must secure all required approvals, as detailed in MSRDC's tender.
Moreover, MLAs Yogesh Sagar and Parag Alvani raised concerns regarding the fragmented approval process among organizations such as the Airport Authority and MSRDC.
Alvani suggested changes to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act to implement criminal penalties for infractions, whereas Satam demanded an FIR against the contractor associated with the unlawful Mulund hoarding. Samant assured the gathering that a FIR would be filed and that the detailed audit would continue as intended.
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