Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority Introduces New Billboard Policy

The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has taken a significant step forward by approving a comprehensive hoarding policy for the area within its jurisdiction. This move comes after a tragic incident in the PMRDA limits, where a collapsing billboard resulted in the loss of civilian lives.

The absence of a billboard policy in the area, coupled with the proliferation of illegal billboards, highlighted the urgent need for regulation and enforcement. With the recent approval of the advertisement board policy, PMRDA aims to rectify this situation and ensure the safety and legality of billboards within its boundaries, while also generating an estimated revenue of approximately Rs 50 crore.

According to Sunil Marle, the metropolitan planner of PMRDA, the current procedure requires applicants to directly submit their applications at the PMRDA office for billboard placement. Moving forward, the following steps will be implemented to streamline the process:

1. Issuance of notices to owners of unauthorized billboards.
2. Provision of an opportunity for regularization, allowing owners to bring their billboards into compliance.
3. Demolition of billboards belonging to non-applicants.
4. Introduction of a regularization mechanism, enabling owners to obtain legal approval by paying a compromise fee twice the development fee.
5. Establishment of a separate mechanism for obtaining permission to erect billboards.
6. Creation of a dedicated website for online permission applications.

The new policy also mandates that every authorized billboard must prominently display a QR code and provide essential information such as the approval number, date, and validity period. In order to ensure the authenticity of the approval, a civil engineer’s certificate will need to be submitted every two years for billboards requiring a QR code.

Additionally, the fee structure for billboard placement has been outlined as follows:

• Rs 70 per square foot for expressways, national, state, and major district roads.
• Rs 60 per square foot for areas within a 10 km radius of Pune and Pimpri Municipal limits.
• Rs 50 per square meter for rural areas within the PMRDA limit.

To obtain permission for billboard placement, applicants are required to submit the following documents:

• Construction map of the location with the application.
• Consent letter from the owner of the premises, accompanied by a photograph on Rs 100 stamp paper.
• Guarantee letter from the applicant.
• Structural stability certificate.
• Tenancy agreement (if applicable).
• Survey map and satellite photograph of the premises.
• “No Objection Certificate” from Mahavitaran, the electricity distribution company.

The implementation of this new billboard policy demonstrates PMRDA’s commitment to ensuring the safety, legality, and transparency of billboard advertising within its jurisdiction. Citizens will now have the means to verify the authenticity of approved billboards, contributing to a safer and more regulated advertising landscape in the Pune Metropolitan Region.