’Hoardings help us reach the aam aadmi’

Disregarding BMC's campaign against the eyesores, BJP, NCP have asked for hoardings to be allowed throughout the city and, that too, at reduced rates

'Hoardings help us reach the aam aadmi'

Disregarding BMC's campaign against the eyesores, BJP, NCP have asked for hoardings to be allowed throughout the city and, that too, at reduced rates

THE BMC's campaign against illegal hoardings in the city has failed to receive support from the worst violatorsu00a0 the political parties.
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In fact, in a rare show of solidarity, parties have gone one step further and demanded that hoardings should be allowed throughout the city and, that too, at reduced charges.

The leaders have also demanded to be allowed to wish their leaders on their birthday

Raj Purohit, the Mumbai president of the BJP, met the BMC commissioner with the proposal last week. "How will we reach out to the people if we do not put up hoardings? We should at least be allowed to put up hoardings wishing our leaders."

Purohit claimed that religious hoardings are not charged anything in Delhi and said Mumbai should follow the same rule. "Religious hoardings, like the one for Bhagwad Samarohs, are of great importance.
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Apart from this, we should be allowed to publicly wish great leaders like Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Hoardings should also be allowed when we announce our camps and for other social issues," he said.

Niyaz Vanu, group leader of the NCP in the BMC echoed Purohit's views. "Hoardings should be allowed and people should be able to put up birthday hoardings too,"

Both Purohit and Vanu also asked for a reduction in BMC charges for hoardings. Currently, the civic body charges Rs 40 for the first sq m and Rs 25 per sq m after that.

"The BMC can continue to charge more for commercial hoardings but they should lower their charges for hoardings with political and social messages," said the BJP leader.

Cash Flow
Last year, the BMC collected Rs 47 crore as charges for putting up banners, which include commercial, political, religious and social ones. The BMC can fine violators between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000 for each illegal hoarding.