Guv seeks report on 'illegal' outdoor ads in Moga

Governor Gulab Chand Kataria has sought a report from the Local Government Department regarding complaints of illegal outdoor advertising in Moga district.

Amardeep Aneja, a resident of Moga, in a complaint to the Governor alleged that there was rampant unauthorised outdoor media advertisements along the national highways and in urban areas, causing loss to the state ex-chequer. “Illegal advertisements have come up due to a collusion between private contractors and officials of the NHAI, PWD and Urban local bodies”, he alleged.

He said not only in Moga, the practice was rampant in other civic bodies. Most of the illegal advertisements were installed without required approvals and adherence to the regulatory frameworks. The advertisements were put up at unapproved sites, causing loss to the state ex-chequer. Seeking a probe from an independent central agency, he said such unauthorised outdoor advertisements were in civic bodies across the state.

He said the advertisements were in violation of the Punjab Municipal Outdoor Advertisement Policy, 2018, which says no person shall erect, exhibit, fix or retain a hoarding, frame, post, kiosk or billboard over any land, building, structure, upon or in any vehicle, or display any advertisement to public view in any manner whatsoever in any place within the jurisdiction of ULBs without the prior permission of the commissioner concerned.