BHUBANESWAR: With poster menace getting worse in the city after Hockey World Cup, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has intensified a cleaning drive registering 16 FIRs and issuing as my demand notices against the violators in the last 48 hours.
Officials of the civic body said in their poster clearing drive on Friday and Saturday over a Rs 1 lakh fine has also been collected, while those who have not paid the penalty have been asked to clear it immediately.
With the admissions for the 2023-24 academic session about to begin, officials of BMC revenue wing said, a number of schools, coaching institutes and home tutors have come up with promotional posters unauthorisedly at public places.
Some of them have not even spared electric poles and transformers, increasing the risk of hazards. Apart from educational institutions, traders and private health care are also on the list of violators. Accordingly, the officials said FIRs have been lodged in 16 cases for putting posters and advertisements illegally and causing damage to public property.
Deputy commissioner for revenue Sapan Kumar Nanda said FIR has been lodged against the violators seeking appropriate action by the police. Nanda said as per the existing norms, the fine for a single poster with a size up to 100 sq ft is Rs 5,000 and above 100 sq ft is Rs 7,000. The fine amount against the violators is decided on the basis of illegal posters they have put up in public places.
The civic body that had spent crores towards the city’s beautification prior to Hockey World Cup this year, has launched a drive since last year to remove unauthorised posters from the walls, poles and trees.