Patna MC set to root out rooftop sites

Following the footsteps of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Patna Municipal Corporation is launching massive action against unauthorised media. Newly appointed Patna Municipal Commissioner Anupam Kumar Suman has issued orders for the removal of all rooftop sites installed on private properties. Some time back the civic body had got media formats removed from government and semi-government lands.

The municipal corporation took cognizance of the overwhelming number of unauthorised media units that were in business in the city, which were eating into the business of legal media. The civic body was hurting from the mushrooming of illegal media.

The local industry association and some of the local media owners have taken the matter to the court with a plea for a stay on the civic body’s move, but the local industry told Media4Growth that cleansing the city of illegal media is in the long-term interest of the industry.

The current situation is compounded by the lack of a proper outdoor advertising policy in force; the draft policy is pending government approval for quite some time. The policy is expected to be approved by September 13.