BBMP panel recommends hoarding removal

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Jan 21, 2015, DHNS: The standing committee on taxation and finance of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has passed a resolution to remove all hoardings from across the City.

The resolution passed by the committee states that not only is the aesthetic look of the City compromised due to the ubiquitous hoardings, but also that advertisement is no more a profitable business for the civic agency.

According to the chairperson of the committee, Ganganagar corporator V Anand, the annual income from advertisement is Rs 20 crore, but everywhere an expected revenue of Rs 300 crore is shown.

“Our expenditure on advertisement is higher than the revenue. This apart, we are being chided quite often by the Karnataka High Court as well as the Lokayukta and Upalokayukta. Why do we get humiliated every now and then?” said Anand.

The committee chairperson said the advertisement mafia has cast a doom on the aesthetic look of the City. “Many gigantic trees were felled for better display of advertisement. We were told that about 3,000 trees were felled. This is simply not acceptable,” Anand added.

Committee member G Manjunath Raju said the BBMP earns Rs 21 crore of which about Rs 6 crore goes for the establishment expense and fighting court cases pertaining to advertisements.
Another Rs 50 lakh goes for demolition of unauthorised hoardings.

He said the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) gets an annual revenue of Rs 200 crore from advertisements.

“The KIA in 2,000 acres generates about Rs 200 crore a year whereas the BBMP which governs 810 square km of area earns only Rs 21 crore of which Rs 6.5 crore goes for establishment expense,” Raju said.

For Rs 14.5 crore of profit, the City’s aesthetics is compromised, the member added. After the proposal is passed it will be sent to the BBMP Council for approval and then to BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana. After his nod, the proposal will be moved to the State government for its approval.