BHUBANESWAR: Private households and institutions in the capital city will not be allowed to install billboard structures on their premises without obtaining permission from Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Three days after a hoard collapsed killing two persons in the city, the corporation came up with the announcement on Friday.
Mayor Sulochana Das told mediapersons that many individuals and institutions are installing hoarding structures on their premises without BMC’s permission and not submitting any declaration to the civic body.
“Such activity will not be allowed,” the mayor said while urging residents and institutions to follow BMC norms regarding billboard installation.
BMC deputy commissioner (revenue) Ajaya Mohanty said the civic body does not permit households and institutions to install hoardings on their own. “If anyone has to install such structure, they require the civic body’s permission to install it through a registered vendor,” he said.
Mohanty said the corporation has already initiated process for removal of hoardings on private plots, rooftop of residential units as well as institutions that have been installed in an unauthorised manner.
The 193 illegal hoardings identified by the civic body in its survey also included such hoardings and all of them will be removed and the cost of removal will be recovered from the persons and agencies concerned, he said.
BMC has mandated third party insurance for all advertising agencies registered in the state capital to cover liabilities for loss of life, injury or property damage caused by their billboard structures.
The corporation has also mandated the agencies to display their names on each and every hoarding they have installed in the city. The agencies have also been asked to submit valid structural safety certificate of each advertisement hoarding with a period of 15 days at BMC head office.