Hoarding owners allege PMC is taking action against permitted structures
Owners of small hoardings have alleged that PMC officials in their drive against illegal structures are pulling them up citing norms despite their following rules
Pune: Owners of small hoardings have alleged that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials in their drive against illegal structures are pulling them up citing norms despite their following rules.
They demanded transfer of sky sign department inspectors every three years to check corruption.
PMC has intensified the drive against illegal hoardings after a billboard crash in Mumbai left 17 dead and over 70 injured on May 13.
Speaking at a press meet on Tuesday, members of Pune small hoarding associations said, “While we support action against illegal hoardings, the civic body is targeting us also by citing rules. After submitting structural stability audit report, PMC demands other documents. Our request is that instead of direct action, the civic administration should give us time to submit incomplete papers.”
The association members Milind Ahire, KJ Attar, Sameer Punjabi, Balasaheb Ganjwe and Chandrakant Kudal addressed the press meet.
The association representatives said that PMC should not ask documents not mentioned in the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations (Regulation and Control of the Display of Sky-signs and Advertisement) Rules, 2022.
PMC official Madhav Jagtap said, “PMC is targeting only illegal hoardings and carrying out structural audit of permitted structures. The state government and PMC commissioner have directed us to check hoardings and take strict action against violators. We have taken action against 53 illegal hoardings in the city since May 16.”
