State govt directs BMC to conduct an audit of hoardings in Mumbai after MLAs flag irregularities

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The Maharashtra Government has directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to conduct an audit of all outdoor advertisement hoardings across the city. The findings of this audit will be presented in the next session of the state legislature, which is scheduled to commence in July.

The decision was made following concerns raised by several legislators from Mumbai during a Question Hour session in the state legislative assembly on Friday.

The Members of Legislative Assembly (MLA) highlighted various irregularities in the installation and approval of hoardings, particularly those put up without proper permissions.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ameet Satam pointed out the case of a hoarding at Mulund toll naka, which has been fined 68 times for violating regulations.

"The hoarding has received permission from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), but it has not obtained the mandatory approvals from the BMC," he stated.

Uday Samant, the state's Industries Minister, acknowledged the irregularities. He pointed out a major flaw in the system, explaining that the daily fine imposed by the BMC for illegal hoardings is merely Rs 1,000, whereas the rent collected per day from such hoardings amounts to Rs 35,000. "The MSRDC (Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation) had issued a tender, which clearly stated that the contractor must secure all necessary permissions, including those from the BMC," Samant added.

Alongside Satam, BJP MLAs Yogesh Sagar and Parag Alvani also raised concerns over the fragmented process of granting permissions for hoardings. They pointed out that different agencies, such as the Airport Authority, MSRDC, and BMC, all have the power to grant approvals, creating confusion and loopholes. "There should be a single agency responsible for issuing permissions," Sagar suggested.

Alvani went a step further, proposing an amendment to the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act to include provisions for criminal punishment for such violations, which are currently absent in the law. Meanwhile, Satam demanded that a first information report (FIR) be registered against the contractor responsible for the illegal Mulund hoarding, citing repeated and deliberate breaches of regulations. He further called for an audit of all hoardings in the city.

Concluding the discussion, Samant assured the assembly members that an FIR would be filed against the contractor involved in the Mulund case. He also confirmed that a comprehensive audit of all hoardings in Mumbai would be carried out, with the findings set to be presented in the monsoon session of the state legislature in July.