Mumbai: The cash-strapped state govt has decided to auction space on vacant govt plots across the state for advertisement hoardings for five years at a time. Under a new hoarding policy, the revenue department has asked all district collectors to find suitable govt plots after an inspection and to e-auction the sites by specifying the hoardings’ dimensions based on the size of the plots. Places that are not suitable for advertisements should not be auctioned, states the policy.The policy states that those who participate in the auction—individuals or organisations—must be residents of or registered in the state. They must also be registered with the directorate general of information and public relations and have at least five years of experience in the advertising business. “The district collector may renew the lease for five more years [after completion of the five-year contract] by increasing the auction price by 25%, ensuring that no complaints are pending against the organisation. The bidder who is selected will be required to use the billboard for govt advertisements for at least seven days free of cost in every quarter. If govt ads are not used in a quarter, it will be done in the next quarter,” it states. According to the policy, a single advertisement should be issued for auctioning land and a consolidated process should be implemented. “There is currently no fixed policy for the state on the amount of licence fee to be charged while allowing erection of billboards on vacant govt land. Considering the importance that advertising has acquired in modern times and the increasing volume of advertising, there was a need to have a policy for erecting billboards on govt land and charging a licence fee,” said an official. The official said the plan will not only raise state revenue but also help generate jobs.
