A former corporator of Panvel City Municipal Corporation, has raised serious allegations against the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), claiming it lacks a comprehensive policy on hoardings and advertisements.
According to the corporator, this oversight has led to an uncontrolled proliferation of illegal hoardings across various nodes under CIDCO’s jurisdiction, particularly in Kharghar. The corporator’s allegations suggest that many of these hoardings have been erected with the tacit approval and possible influence of CIDCO officials, leading to a concerning rise in unauthorised advertising structures. This, he argues, highlights a significant lapse in urban management and governance within CIDCO.
Supporting these claims, CIDCO’s own data indicates a recent crackdown on illegal hoardings, with 36 structures being dismantled across 12 suburban railway stations. Notably, stations like Sanpada, Turbhe, and Seawoods-Darave have seen all hoardings removed, while others had only a few remaining, which were also dismantled soon after. The corporation has similarly targeted illegal hoardings under the Controller of Unauthorized Construction (South-1), removing 44 hoardings across various locations including Kharghar, Kamothe, and along the Sion-Panvel highway.
Further scrutiny reveals that 16 out of 17 hoardings in Uran and Dronagiri nodes were taken down, with similar action in Pushpak Nagar. The remaining hoardings, which were atop buildings, were more challenging to remove but were eventually dismantled. The scale of illegal hoardings, they suggest, points to a possible nexus between CIDCO officials and private agencies, enabling large-scale unauthorised advertising operations. This alleged collusion, he argues, forced CIDCO to take action, though it failed to differentiate between structurally sound and weak hoardings during the removals.
The corporator, referencing his interactions with CIDCO officials, asserted, “CIDCO has not formulated a proper policy to regulate hoardings and advertisements within its nodes. This has led to the widespread removal of hoardings across its jurisdiction, a concern even voiced by their own officials following a hoarding collapse incident in Ghatkopar.” Echoing similar concerns, activist Rajeev Mishra criticised the delay in framing a formal advertising policy and issuing open tenders. He alleged that a few advertising companies have monopolised the market with the support of CIDCO officials, resulting in significant revenue loss for CIDCO and a lack of fair competition.
When approached for comment, a CIDCO official confirmed that the Transport and Communication Department had drafted some policy guidelines. However, despite repeated inquiries, details of the policy have not been disclosed, leaving stakeholders in the dark about the corporation’s future plans for managing advertising and hoardings. The allegations raise pressing questions about the governance and transparency within CIDCO and underscore the urgent need for a clear, enforceable policy to regulate hoardings and advertising in its jurisdiction.
