GHMC to free city from dangerous distractions

Adarsh Nagar: The capital city of the Telangana state would no more be veiled with the vilest billboards or advertisements as the GHMC is all set implement the action plan to make Hyderabad distraction-free and visual-pollution free. The Enforcement Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) department is planning to start service-based advertising schemes in the city, soon.

The EVDM teams have already begun removing advertisements from the billboards, hoardings, flex boards and even from shopping malls and buildings.

According to the EVDM director Viswajit Kampati, who is also heading the GHMC's Advertising Wing, a full-fledged planning is on the cards for starting the service-based advertising schemes.

The municipal corporation annually expects around Rs 60 crore through advertising on registered - 2618 unipole hoardings, 1202 bus shelter advertisements and from advertisements around 876 structures and sites at L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail.

However, till now it only generated slightly above 60 per cent of the expected revenue through the advertising tax. "This year the department barely collected any tax amount through advertising. Now we have decided to make Hyderabad an advertisement-free city," Viswajit Kampati said. "As per the GO (Government Order) 68 of MA&UD there shall not be any advertisement in the city that has no purpose or utility," said Kampati.

Service-based advertising schemes

Further, he told can erect advertisements only if they can provide citizens with some amenities.

Viswajit said, "We have come up with a service-centric advertisement policy. The highest bidder will get the advertising space."

The advertisers will have to Built Operate structure (at their cost) and Transfer (BOT). The advertisement structure has to be transferred to the corporation after the stipulated time. Also, advertisers have to allot the government 10 per cent of its overall ad space for promotions and public service announcements 10 per cent of the time a year.

Explaining about the policy, Kampati told that now the department would not entertain adspace that would challenge the aesthetic appeal of Hyderabad.

However, the EVDM will mandatorily collect taxes for shop shutters, signage boards and neon glow boards by commercial establishments.

In December 2020, the Directorate of EVDM, GHMC issued a whopping challans of over Rs 79 lakh which was later paid by the violators which include shopping malls, jewelry stores, colleges, and diagnostic centres and hotels.