Hoardings body shows signs of discontent

Pune Outdoor Advertising Association puts up billboards condemning policy on hoardings, says PMC favouring big ad agencies

Pune Outdoor Advertising Association puts up billboards condemning policy on hoardings, says PMC favouring big ad agencies

The Pune Outdoor Advertising Association (POAA) has a pertinent question. Who is defacing the city? Good aesthetic hoardings or the Chamcha hoardings greeting politicians on their birthday. The POAA is disgruntled by the civic body's new hoarding policy that will give exclusive rights to private contractors to erect hoardings at certain places and put the onus on them to prevent unauthorised hoardings in the area.


Peeved: The POAA vent out their frustration on the PMC through the
very hoardings to which the civic body is opposed to. Pic/Jignesh Mistry

The aggrieved POAA has already taken the matter to the court to hold back the new hoarding policy, which they said would benefit only big advertising agencies. Agitations will also take place before the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) main building this week.

The new policy, the POAA said, would affect the livelihood of 4,000 families depending on this existing Rs 70-crore advertising business. The civic body's decision would create monopoly for certain agencies, and favour 'someone', charged the POAA members.

The POAA removed all the 20 existing hoardings at Alaka Theatre Chowk, and replaced them with new ones deprecating the civic body's rigid approach toward advertising agencies in the city. A similar protest was also held at Juna Bazar Chowk.

"To remove illegal hoardings, the PMC has put an axe on genuine hoardings in the city," Chandrakant Kudal, founder and president of POAA alleged. Neelesh Nikam, leader of PMC house, said the resolution on the new hoarding policy was passed without any discussion. "PMC Commissioner Mahesh Zagade said the new policy can generate a revenue of Rs 35 to 40 crore for the civic body. We were told a study was made by PMC officials for the new policy," he said. "POAA members can apply for tenders to prevent any financial loss."