BHUBANESWAR: Two-and-a-half months after collapse of an illegal hoarding in Aiginia claimed two lives, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday launched a drive to remove unauthorised billboard structures installed in the capital city.
Deputy commissioner for Revenue Ajaya Kumar Mohanty said around 200 unclaimed and unauthorised hoardings have been identified and three agencies have been roped in to dismantle them. The three agencies will remove the hoardings on their own and pay BMC towards the iron material recovered from the structures at a rate of `16 per kg.
Two hoardings were removed at Rasulgarh and Cuttack road on the day. BMC sources said a probe is also underway to identify those who installed the hoardings illegally and initiate appropriate action against them.
On February 24, two persons Tuna Gouda and Sachidananda Pradhan were killed after an unauthorised hoarding came crashing down on them during thunderstorm, in Aiginia area of the city. Another woman Mausumi Nayak also sustained injuries in the tragic mishap.
Following the incident, the BMC had also announced that private households and institutions in the capital city will not be allowed to install billboard structures on their premises without obtaining permission from the civic body.
Officials 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 been asked to submit valid structural safety certificate of each advertisement hoarding periodically.