Pune: The PMRDA has intensified its crackdown on unauthorized hoardings, causing concern among hoarding owners. They recently met with PMRDA Commissioner Yogesh Mhase, requesting an extension to apply for formal approval to avoid immediate action. Mhase advised them to quickly obtain official permits.
In the PMRDA area, large hoardings exceeding width and height limits, especially those on tall buildings, have been identified in main squares and busy areas.
Many of these hoardings were erected without adhering to regulations and have been declared illegal by the PMRDA. The administration observed that such dangerous hoardings could collapse, causing accidents, and has begun taking action against them. So far, action has been taken on over 25 unauthorized hoardings.
Despite frequent appeals to obtain formal approval, many unauthorized hoarding owners did not comply. Consequently, the PMRDA team is taking action against hoardings that exceed regulatory height limits.
In response, hoarding owners from various parts of Pune district rushed to the PMRDA office, with around 50 owners gathering outside the commissioner's office, demanding a halt to the action until their documentation is complete. The commissioner responded positively but insisted on immediate official approval.
Approximately 880 applications have been submitted to formally recognize unauthorized hoardings. However, more than half of these applications have issues that need to be resolved, prompting the authority to send letters requesting further action.
Hoarding owners are willing to pay inspection and advertisement fees for approved hoardings but have requested exemption from development and regularization fees, which they find unaffordable. They asked for sympathetic consideration of this demand.
