GUNTUR: Taking serious note of tax evasion by private advertising agencies, the civic body has decided to prepare an action plan to crack a whip on all illegal hoardings in the city. 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 Guntur Municipal Corporation, one of the income sources for the civic body. But due to a lack of proper supervision, the agencies have neglected to clear the bills.
In a review meeting that held recently, commissioner Kirthi Chekuri expressed displeasure over poor tax collection from the advertising agencies setting up hoardings in the city.
According to the new gazette, the advertisement charges demand has been increased to nearly Rs 6.54 crore.
In order to speed up the tax collection, civic body chief Kirthi instructed the officials to conduct a special drive to remove the hoardings installed by the agencies, who failed to pay prescribed fees to Guntur Municipal Corporation.
She also directed the town planning department officials to ready an action plan for geo-tagging and QR coding of all the hoardings in the city. She clarified that no unauthorised structure should be allowed anywhere in the city.
The ward planning and regulation secretary would be held responsible for any unauthorised structure found within their limits.