In order to be beware of unlawful hoardings, The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) will distinguish more places where it will permit setting up billboards.
Two years back, the KMC understood that the hoardings can help in producing income by charging individuals according to the size and area. Therefore, the KMC changed its hoarding policy and making the offering procedure mandatory for administrators to put the accumulating at a specific place.
At present, there are only 80 open places in the city where the hoardings can be set legitimately. Since, the number is less; the operators choose illicit mode and set up hoardings without authorization from the estate department.
Pramod Barale, chief estate officer of the KMC, said, “The increase in number of hoarding places will help keep a check on illegal hoardings and secondly will help rake in a significant amount of revenue through annual hoarding fees charged to private operators. We have invited bids from operators for 19 sites through which we expect a minimum amount of Rs 7 lakh. As the locations are major we expect to generate double the amount.”
Since the most recent one month, the KMC has made a move against illicit hoardings. It is learnt that the private operators moved toward the civic administration to regularize the hoardings. The KMC will permit the hoarding just at those spots where there is no mischief to the vision of the passers and away from open properties.
“The criteria mentioned in the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2010 will be followed to identify the hoarding places. We are also going to review the places where mini hoardings are allowed. At present, there are 770 such locations and the number may increase or decrease after the review,” said Barale.
As per the earlier policy, the KMC expected Rs 5 crore from hoarding fees, but could generate only Rs 2 crore. By introducing the bidding process, the revenue may touch the Rs 10 crore-mark.