CUTTACK: Against the permitted 200, over 2,000 unauthorised hoardings dot Cuttack city today owing to zero enforcement by the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). The menace just seems to be growing every day.
Further, the civic body is yet to collect hoarding tax to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore from the defaulters. As per the rule, the advertising agencies should take permission from CMC and pay rent and tax towards display of hoardings.
However, many agencies instead of taking permission are putting up hoardings directly at prominent roads across the city, sometimes even covering road signs. While the civic body has closed its eyes to the menace, it is also yet to collect a whopping Rs 1.5 crore of hoarding tax which is pending against 30 advertisement agencies for the last two years.
The CMC in its 2016 council meeting had passed a resolution restricting display of hoardings at 12 places including Chandi Mandir square, near Orissa High Court, Gadakhai, SCB MCH, roads stretching from DRDA office to Sishu Bhawan, Satichaura square to Sector-10 Petanal road besides, near educational institutions, parks, health centres and religious institutions.
However, there has been no enforcement on its part. According to officials concerned, only 200 hoardings are allowed in the city but over 2000 of them are currently dotting the skyline.
CMC Deputy Commissioner Latashree Bag said that letters have been issued to the defaulting advertisement agencies asking them to pay the pending tax. "We have started collecting hoarding tax from October last year after the COVID situation improved," she said.