Hoarding crackdown paused in Maharashtra
After its massive takedown of billboards and hoardings over the past two months, Maharashtra govt has softened its stance on OOH players
The Maharashtra government has for now ceased its crackdown on hoardings across the state, media players have told e4m.
The development comes days after an e4m report on July 12 about aggrieved OOH players seeking Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s intervention to stop the crackdown on hoardings across the state.
Anand Katale, President of Maharashtra Outdoor Advertisers Association, said, “The drives that were being carried out by the civic bodies in Pune and other cities to demolish the billboards, have stopped. It's a big respite for everyone whose livelihood depends on the outdoor advertising industry. We would like to extend thanks to e4m for taking up our issue.”
Praveen Vadhera, CEO of Indian Outdoor Advertisers Association, also said, “Crackdown of hoarding in the state has stopped since last week.”
Stakeholders believe that it is a temporary halt which might continue till the elections are announced. Notably, Maharashtra will undergo Assembly polls in the coming October. The election commission of India might announce the dates of polls by August end which means the model code of conduct will come in place in a month.
When asked about it, the CM’s staff said that the crackdown stopped because OOH players have furnished the required documents to support their hoardings.
Crackdown on “illegal” hoardings across Mumbai and Maharashtra over the past two months impacted the OOH advertising sector in the state badly, prompting the media owners to seek Maharashtra CM's urgent intervention in the matter.
A group of over 40 media owners associated with various OOH associations from across the state led a representation to meet Shinde at his official residence "Varsha" last Monday. While the CM himself was not available, the media owners found an audience in Shinde's staff.
Media owners alleged that different rules are being invoked by different bodies such as municipal corporations, municipalities, gram panchayats, MMRDA, PMRDA, PWD, creating havoc and making it impossible for them to operate their business. They demand that the government must clear the policy mess and ensure “ease-of-doing” business for them.
