The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has taken a strict stance against unauthorised outdoor advertising, issuing a final three-day notice to private agencies for the removal of approximately 800 hoardings across the city. This decisive action comes after the civic body's empanelment agreements with these advertisers expired and were not renewed.
Expired Contracts and a Stern Warning
On Wednesday, the BMC formally communicated to around 26 private advertising agencies that their empanelment status with the corporation had lapsed. The official empanelment had expired on December 12, and despite a prior notice issued on November 15, no agency submitted the necessary documents or applied for renewal.
BMC Deputy Commissioner Ajay Mohanty stated that the corporation received no response from the advertisers, leading to the non-renewal of their contracts. Consequently, all hoardings, advertisement displays, and related structures installed by these agencies within municipal limits are now deemed unauthorised and illegal with immediate effect.
The Three-Day Removal Ultimatum
In letters dispatched to the agencies, the BMC has directed them to remove all such hoardings at their own cost within three days from the issue of the notice. The warning is clear and carries financial implications.
The letter explicitly states that if the unauthorised structures are not removed within the stipulated period, the BMC will undertake the removal work without any further notice. The entire cost of this removal will then be recovered from the concerned agency as per the provisions of the Odisha Municipal Corporation Act, 2003. Furthermore, the BMC has warned of the potential withdrawal of empanelment for the defaulting agencies.
Revenue Model and Scope of the Crackdown
Officials explained that these hoardings are primarily installed on rooftops and private lands across Bhubaneswar. Under the standard agreement, advertisers pay the BMC a fee for erecting these displays, generating revenue for the civic body. In cases involving private land, the landowner also receives a share of the payment from the advertiser.
With the contracts now invalid, this revenue stream has been disrupted. The current crackdown, targeting roughly 800 structures, aims to bring order to the city's outdoor advertising landscape and enforce regulatory compliance. The move underscores the BMC's intent to clamp down on illegal advertising and reclaim regulatory control over public and private spaces used for commercial displays.
