GUNTUR: Taking serious note of tax evasion by private advertising agencies, the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) officials have truncated more than 70 illegal hoardings in the past few days across the city. According to the reports, over 2,000 advertising boards and hoardings are present across Guntur city. As many as 34 private agencies display their advertisements on these hoardings and pay media display devise charges to GMC, one of the sources of income for the civic body.
However, due to a lack of proper supervision, few agencies were found to be defaulters in paying the bills. In order to speed up the tax collection, civic chief Kirthi instructed the officials to conduct a special drive to remove the hoardings installed by the agencies who have failed to pay prescribed fees to GMC. Meanwhile, some advertising agencies have reportedly removed their hoardings in prior to avoid any action against them.
She also directed the town planning department officials to ready an action plan for geotagging and QR coding of all the hoardings and collect media device fees from all advertising firms within the stipulated time. The local secretariat staff should conduct inspections and remove illegal hoardings. Action will be taken against the concerned officials, if failed to do the same, she added.