Greater Noida: Recovery notice issued against builders over illegal advertisements

The Greater Noida Authority on Monday said that it has started issuing recovery notices against real estate developers and educational institutes that failed to pay the penalty imposed on them for putting up illegal boards, posters and unipoles across the city

The Greater Noida Authority on Monday said that it has started issuing recovery notices against real estate developers and educational institutes that failed to pay the penalty imposed on them for putting up illegal boards, posters and unipoles across the city.

HT Image

The authority said putting up such advertisements on public spaces required its permission and came with a fee.

“We have issued recovery notices against 70 agencies including the developers and educational institutions, which were found to be advertising without permission causing revenue loss. Now we will recover the lost revenue by selling their assets as per the rules,” said Salil Yadav, deputy general manager of the Greater Noida authority that has started the process.

The official said the authority had issued the penalties against the violators since May 2018. The total penalties add up to around ₹3 crore, he added.

“We had issued many notices, but the offenders failed to comply. The recovery notices will now enable the government to sell assets and recover revenue,” said Yadav.

The authority had started acting against violators in 2018 following complaints from residents.

“Illegal unipoles are not only an eyesore, but also a public safety risk. The authority must act sternly,” said Anita Prajapati, a resident of Gaur City, Greater Noida West.

According to the advertisement policy, such hoardings are not allowed on roads less than 80 metres wide, on religious places, monuments, wetlands, forest reserves and bridges. It, however, does not specify the exact penalty or legal action to be taken against violators, but empowers the chief executive officer (CEO) to levy a penalty and remove such hoardings without notice. The CEO may even act against officials who fail to act against illegal hoardings.

For advertisements on public land, a committee formed by the authority will first inspect the site for safety before giving its permit, followed by charging the applicable fees.