7,000 'chamcha' hoardings pulled down in five days

PMC commissioner Mahesh Zagade has taken up the issue of removing 'chamcha' hoardings, which are not only causing huge losses to the municipal body, but also creating nuisance in the city

PMC commissioner Mahesh Zagade has taken up the issue of removing 'chamcha' hoardings, which are not only causing huge losses to the municipal body, but also creating nuisance in the city.u00a0 So far, PMC has pulled down about 4,000 boards and 3,000 hoardings from all the 14 ward offices in the past five days.

After MiD DAY reported that PMC was losing Rs 14.9 crore annually by giving out hoardings to politicians' sidekicks instead of corporates, the municipal body is on a drive to pull down all such hoardings in the city.

Huge losses

MiD DAY investigations also found that merely 2,000 hoardings put up by companies and local business owners fetched the PMC around Rs 5 crore in a year. Though the hoarding put up by political parties were three times more in numberu00a0 they did contribute to even one per cent of the business.

Better late than never: The PMC has been pulling down hoardings after MiD DAY highlighted the losses it was incurring annually. pic/Jignesh Mistry

Ramesh Shelar, head, Sky Sign Department, PMC said, "All the 14 license inspectors from 14 ward offices in the city have been given powers to remove these posters. Our people are working from 10 am to 8 pm. The staff has been given necessary equipment and police protection."
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Ramchandra Bhojja, license inspector, Tilak Road ward office, said that they don't face any opposition while removing these boards, but new hoardings come up on the same spot the next day. Ravindra Thorat, license officer, Sangamwadi ward office had a similar experience. "New posters of birthday wishes got replaced immediately in the evening at Yerawada," he said.

Tukaram Shinde, head clerk, Sky Sign Department, PMC, who compiles boards and hoardings from all 14 wards, "The PMC is pulling down anything between 400-1,800 hoardings every day. The drive will continue till the end of the month."

Rs 14.9 cr

The annual amount the PMC loses by giving out hoardings to politicians' sidekicks.