Blame game between political parties and BMC ensures Rs 30 lakh loss in one year
Blame game between political parties and BMC ensures Rs 30 lakh loss in one year
In 2008 political parties plastered the city with approximately 20 lakh posters and hoardings of candidates birthdays, festival greetings, victories, welcomes, etc.
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Of these, just 1,590 were legal as they had taken permission from the BMC. This means, 19,98,410 posters etc were liable to pay a fine to the BMC between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000 each.
However, an RTI application has revealed that not a single political party paid the fine, a loss of Rs 30 lakh approximately, to the BMC exchequer.
This year too, till September 19, of the 52,788 political posters, just 1,349 had BMC permission. Here again, not a rupee was paid to the BMC a loss of Rs 12 lakh. The same was true for 2007.
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In contrast, the BMC collected Rs 51,89,901 as fines from non-political hoardings, primarily of films, product advertisements, etc.
Tall claims
Milind Mule (41), the RTI activist from Dadar, had filed an application seeking information on action taken against both political and non-political hoardings in the last three years and the fine collected.
"I read about the BMC's claim that action would be taken against illegal hoardings, but I saw posters and hoardings everywhere and wondered about the reality.
So I filed an RTI and was shocked to find that the BMC only fined those who have put up non-political hoardings."
R B Bhosale, deputy municipal commissioner (Special), said, "It is very difficult to nail an offender in the case of illegal posters/banners/ hoardings.
For instance, if it's a banner celebrating Vilasrao Deshmukh's birthday, we can't go and ask him to pay the fine.
Even if it has the signature of the party's office-bearer's name, he washes his hands off, saying he hadn't authorised it.
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For non-political hoardings there is always a mention of a store or a product and it is easier to nail the offender."
Another official on condition of anonymity admitted that it was difficult to take action against these banners because of political pressure.
Banner/Poster Procedure
Meet the ward officer and apply for permission
The ward officer scrutinises the application
Pay the fee (Rs 25 per sqm, deposit of Rs 55 and a ground rate of Rs 65 per sqm)u00a0
The posters can then be put up keeping in mind the deadline of five days.u00a0
After 5 days, the political party has to remove the poster.
A fine of Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 has to be paid beyond five days.u00a0
No extension of the 5-day period is allowed.
5
The maximum number of days a political poster/banner can be put up
Rs 52 lakh
The amount that BMC collected u00a0as fines from non-political hoardings
What the Law says
The rules and regulation for banners/posters/ hoarding falls under sections 328 and 328 (A) of the MMC Act. No one can display hoardings / banners without the BMC's permission. The rules are:
The minimum space between hoardings should be 20 metres
They can't be placed on top of one another
No hoardings on footpaths
No posters on wallsu00a0
100 banners/posters allowed per ward
The Other Side
Nizamuddin Ryeen, spokesperson of the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee, said, "I know about the discrepancies in fining illegal political hoardings and non-political ones, but it does become difficult to find out who has authorized the hoardings. Sometimes the netas mentioned in the posters/hoardings are not even aware.
I think the BMC should create awareness regarding the norms and regulation related to hoardings/posters. Why doesn't a party that spends so much money on posters and hoardings spend so little to take permission to have their banners up for a few days more? The BMC should conduct an awareness meeting."
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