Hyderabad: HYDRAA sets deadline to remove unauthorised hoardings

Hyderabad: HYDRAA Commissioner AV Ranganath has said that the agency is allowing advertising agencies until Sunday to remove unauthorized advertisement hoardings. Meanwhile, advertising agencies should remove the unlawful hoardings on their own; else, the HYDRAA will remove them.

Representatives of various advertising agencies called on Ranganath at his office, Buddha Bhavan, here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, the HYDRAA Commissioner said that they have been working on this issue for three months. Ranganath recalled that during the previous two months, he had scheduled multiple meetings with the representatives of the ad agencies and the concerned municipal commissioners.

Several commissioners stated that the deadline for fee payment for the fiscal year 2022-23 is up to March 31, 2024, and that beyond March 31, 2024, renewals have ceased due to the government's need to create a new policy. As a result, numerous people have complained to the commissioner about being unable to pay their fees for fiscal year 2022-23.

In this regard, Ranganath stated that he would take the matter to the government's attention in order to remove the hoardings for which payments have been received through March 31, 2023, or until the government makes a decision. In fact, through advertisement hoardings, over Rs 100 crores of income is expected, but at present only Rs 20-30 crore revenue is being generated as per the official estimates.

Ranganath also made it clear that the HYDRAA would not allow any exemptions for the dismantling of unlawful hoardings because the agency's goal is to raise government revenue.

Meanwhile, representatives from advertising agencies welcomed the extension of time until Sunday to remove unapproved hoardings. They also expressed satisfaction with individuals who had previously received authorization and paid the charge until March 2023.

In addition to the arrangement of hoardings, the representatives of the ad agency said that if the government brings a new policy in terms of payment of advertisement fees, they are ready to act accordingly.

Several advertising agency representatives lashed out at the owner of Akhila Ad Agency before the Commissioner for misrepresenting them when he accused HYDRAA of removing unauthorized advertisement hoardings in Balapur on Sunday.

During the course of the meeting, everyone was shocked to learn that, under the guise of Akhila Ad Agency, permits had been obtained in Meerpet to install illegal advertising hoardings at Balapur Chowrasta.

The owner of Akhila Ad Agency was reprimanded in the presence of the Commissioner for misleading them and making them guilty before HYDRAA. The other ad agency representatives have also denied allegations that HYDRAA was selling the scrapped advertisement hoardings.