The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) on Thursday removed billboards, hoardings and other promotional items from several shopping malls which have failed to pay advertisement fee to the civic agency.
An MCG official said that action has been taken against 10-12 malls on the MG Road as they have not deposited advertisement charges with the Zonal and Taxation Department.
"We had sent notices to these malls and given seven days deadline to either deposit the money or remove all advertisements as early as possible," said Raman Sharma, executive engineer (enforcement), MCG.
Earlier Gurgaon Mayor Vimal Yadav, senior deputy mayor Yashpal Batra and deputy mayor Parminder Kataria surveyed the area and warned the mall owners to remove all illegal ads.
"The mall owners have been using them as good source of income, while the corporation has been facing huge revenue losses," said the senior deputy mayor.
According to a zonal and taxation officer, the corporation is in loss of roughly Rs12-15 crore due to non-payment of advertisement taxes.
"The department has been intimating the defaulters (mall owners) to comply with the advertisements act of MCG and deposit the due amounts, but they ignored and kept displaying advertisements," said Samir Srivastav, the zonal and taxation officer.
{{/usCountry}}"The department has been intimating the defaulters (mall owners) to comply with the advertisements act of MCG and deposit the due amounts, but they ignored and kept displaying advertisements," said Samir Srivastav, the zonal and taxation officer.
{{/usCountry}}The corporation has estimated dues Rs1 crore on JMD Arcade, Rs4 crore on MGF, Rs3.35 crore on Star Mall and Rs1.38 crore on Regent Plaza, said mayor Vimal Yadav.
"The corporation will use this revenue in development works for the city," Yadav said.