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Businessman fined ₹3.20 cr for ‘defacing city’ with advertisements during Dahi Handi festival
PMC sky sign department took action for flexes of bottled drinking water product put up by Balan at many parts of the city during the Dahi Handi festival. HT has seen a copy of the notice served by the civic body
Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday served notice to city-based businessman Punit Balan for “defacing city” by placing advertisements and imposed a fine of ₹3.20 crore.
PMC sky sign department took action for flexes of bottled drinking water product put up by Balan at many parts of the city during the Dahi Handi festival. HT has seen a copy of the notice served by the civic body.
The civic body has asked Balan to pay the fine within two days of receiving the notice to avoid legal action, the notice reads.
Madhav Jagtap, head, PMC sky sign department, said, “The advertisements were placed without seeking our permission. No one can deface the city.”
Balan, an industrialist with various business interests, has put up advertisements across the city during Dahi Handi and Ganpati festivals in the past few years.
“I am abroad and came to know about the notice from my staff. I have forwarded it to my legal team to reply to the notice and do the needful,” said Balan over the phone.
The action against Balan was taken under the Maharashtra Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1995, and the High Court order in 1917 by PMC sky sign and advertisement department which draws powers of regulation and control of the advertisements under Sections 244 and 245 of Maharashtra Municipal Act.
Jagtap said, “While PMC had waived off permission for putting up advertisements during Ganeshotsav, we have issued notices for flexes placed during Dahi Handi festival.”
The PMC notice mentions that the survey carried out between September 7 and September 17 found around 25,000 banners put up across the city and illegal advertisements covered around 80,000 square feet area.
“PMC’s rate is ₹40 per square feet per day for advertisement and the total fine amount is ₹3.20 crore,” stated the notice. Business groups, including those run by Balan, sponsor many prominent Ganesh mandals in the city.
