The district administration’s efforts to clear commercial hub of Sakchi and Bistupur and other parts of the city of misuse of hoardings and banners have turned out to be a damp squib.
Flex hoardings of political leaders congratulating them for ‘accomplishing tasks’, religious programmes, office-bearers elected to various associations etc are some of the commonly seen display items on the roadside across the city. To utter surprise, several of these banners are also forcibly put on the already authorized hoardings in a haphazard manner not only giving financial losses to the outdoor advertising agencies but are also making mockery of the law.
Concerned over the situation, a delegation of Jamshedpur Advertisers Association has registered protest with Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar. The association has demanded immediate action against the prevailing situation.
Gian Taneja, a senior functionary of Jamshedpur Advertisers Association said that the business of outdoor advertising is no more profitable now. Though they pay timely charges to the civic bodies for their assigned hoardings but the same hoarding are forcibly used by political parties or social organisations to declare their announcements. Several times their own bonafide advertisers refuse to pay in such condition when their own space is illegally captured. He said that immediate action needs to be taken to stop the menace.
“From social organisations to the political parties they legal treat advertisers’ property as their own property. This is not all. All political parties /individuals do not bother and just put up their banners on even already booked sites without charges and information. No business in the world faces such problem. Just imagine someone coming to your store and getting away with goods without payment or even information. Advertisers have to bear even the cost of removing the banner as interested party is not bothered and is getting free publicity,” said another member of Jamshedpur Advertisers Association.
He further added that in Jharkhand, Government has authorized one single company for surveillance system against permission of erecting hoarding at any place without approval, without even tendering or any quotations or even talking to advertising associations. Party is taking Government for a ride and the Government is losing huge revenue to fill in the pockets of a few greedy ones.
SDO Dhalbhum Prabhat Kumar said that the administration is doing their homework and will take action against those involved in such acts. He said that before Durga Puja they will launch a drive against it.
The administration is gearing up to start major exercise against putting up of forcible hoardings and cutouts at public places by political leaders, social organisations and other private bodies.
