A demand notice has been issued to over 50 advertisers who collaborated with the BBMP to construct skywalks, public restrooms, and bus shelters for the lack of annual advertising fees.
Story so far: A number of skywalks, public restrooms, and bus shelters were constructed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. For building the civic amenities, the local government gave businesses the right to advertise for about 20 years in exchange for an annual ground rent and advertising fee.
- The civic body cites the 2019 marketing regulations in order to demand up to ₹500 crores in unpaid fees, but the advertisers have chosen to seek legal counsel.
- The 2019 Act’s provisions require the BBMP to impose a monthly fee of ₹600 to ₹780 per square metre of commercial hoarding in addition to ground rent.
Outdoor ads: All other outdoor advertisements are banned in the city, with the exception of those displayed using the PPP model. According to sources, each hoarding brings in anywhere between ₹1 lakh and ₹3 lakh a month because only a select few companies are permitted to advertise.