MC’s regulation panel to keep tab on illegal ads in city

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 26

The regulation committee of the Municipal Corporation (MC), Bathinda, will now keep a check on illegal advertisements in the city.

The decision was taken keeping in view the loss of around Rs 1.5 crore faced by the MC. Four multinational mobile companies are advertising in the city without paying any tax to the MC from the past two years.

The decision to act against illegal advertisements in the city has been taken as the MC is facing paucity of funds. The advertisement regulation committee constituted for outdoor media will soon hold a meeting and form a policy on its own to act against illegal advertisements in the city.

The Municipal Commissioner, Sanyam Aggarwal, had given instructions to the advertising branch to remove all illegal advertisement boards of the mobile companies in the city and submit a report to him.

Instead of putting hoardings at sites allotted by the MC, the mobile companies have installed advertisement boards on shops in main markets since the past two years. The firms have not paid Rs 1.50 crore advertisement tax to the MC.

The MC and its contractors are facing huge loss as sites earmarked for hoardings are lying vacate. The civic body has leased out advertisement sites to five contractors at Rs 2.80 crore per year.

Aggarwal said he was going through various regulations to see what action could be taken against the mobile companies and stop illegal advertisements in future. He said, “We are calling a meeting of advertisement regulation committee to formulate a policy.”

Mobile companies have kept aside a huge budget for promotions on launch of new mobile phones. If these firms are not allowed to use mobile shops for illegal advertisements, then they will utilise sites allotted by the MC for their hoardings.

The MC cannot levy tax on illegal advertisements on mobile shop sites. The civic body can earn revenue through advertisement tax only if hoardings are put up at earmarked sites.