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Now, pay double to fee for displaying outdoor advertisements in Chandigarh
UT notification out: The MC had proposed revision of rates in 2013 but the matter was struck down at the level of ministry of home affairs
The UT administration has notified an amendment in the advertisement control order (1954), paving way for the municipal corporation to charge higher advertisement fee for outdoor display of advertisements in the city.
MC commissioner KK Yadav said the notification has allowed the MC to increase the advertisement fee for different types of displays. “MC was so far unable to earn revenue from advertisements, as our enforcement was weak against illegal advertising. We will step up our vigil and make sure the MC imposes new advertisement fee,” he said.
The notification mentions a new category of ‘digital advertisement’ for which the rates will be four times the existing ones.
EXISTING RATES DOUBLED
The existing rates that vary in terms of location and size of the advertisement, have been doubled in the new notification. For instance, earlier the annual fee for covering space between 10 and 25 square feet for non-illuminated hoarding on a wall or a post was ₹2,400 per annum, but now it is ₹4,800. For covering space between 5 and 25 square feet for fixed illuminated sky signs and advertisements, the charges used to be ₹5,000 per annum, which have been increased to ₹9,600 per annum.
The annual charges of advertisement boards displayed on vehicles, including buses, used to be ₹7,840 per annum for a space up to 50 square feet in case of illuminated advertisement, and ₹3,920 per annum for plane advertisement. Both these rates have been revised to ₹15,860 and ₹7840 respectively.
As far as digital advertisement is concerned, the new rates are ₹8,000 per annum up to 5 square feet space and ₹19,200 per annum from 5 square feet up to 25 square feet space. For spaces above 25 square feet, charges are ₹24,000.
LONG-STANDING DEMAND
Increasing advertisement fee was a long-standing demand of the councillors and MC officials. The MC had proposed revision of rates in 2013 but the matter was struck down at the level of ministry of home affairs. Last year too, the proposal was formulated and thereafter sent for approval of the administration.
Pertinently, MC has come under severe criticism for not tapping the full potential of outdoor advertisement as far as generating revenue is concerned. “Once the new rates are notified, the MC must implement them with due diligence and in all sincerity,” said councillor Satish Kainth.
Kainth said for a long time, the MC officials have been lax in the implementation of the code properly. Violations of the advertisement order are widespread which the MC officials have largely ignored: “After new rates comes into force, the MC officials must penalise the violators and raise their revenue,” he said.
