Chennai corporation to fine unlicensed hoardings 25K

Chennai: Starting March 7, Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will crack down on unauthorized advertisement hoardings across the city by levying a fine of 25,000.The norms for installing advertisement boards were notified under the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules, 2023. You have to apply online to GCC commissioner through the web portal. A single-window committee will scrutinize applications and grant licences after ensuring compliance and payment of the prescribed fee ranging from 3,000 to 6,000 per sqm. The fee will increase by 20% for LED hoardings. The licences must be renewed annually. The city has around 640 hoardings approved by GCC. These firms or individuals with the hoardings got a stay from high court. The rest of the hoardings are illegal and need to get licensed.Deputy mayor Mahesh Kumar said more than 100 firms so far have applied for licences. "The city has a few thousand hoardings, and if everybody registers, we should have continuous revenue running into a few crores. We have asked revenue inspectors and assistant engineers to survey the total hoardings in each ward. POS devices have been given to the officials to issue fines," he said.The city currently has precariously placed hoardings on building walls in key stretches such as the Anna Nagar roundtana, OMR near Tidel Park, Anna Salai near Park Hotel, and other parts of the city. As per GCC's rules, the hoardings must be permanent in nature and printed on flex or other approved materials. For rotating digital displays, a visual should not be shown for less than 10 seconds. Animation or full-motion video displays will be allowed only in non-traffic zones or parking areas.The maximum permissible height of hoardings is 10 metres from ground level, and installations are allowed only up to the second floor. From March 7, all unlicensed boards will be treated as unauthorized and removed, with demolition costs recovered from building owners or installers.Elaya Aruna, chairman, standing committee on town planning department, said they planned to scale up the drive in the coming weeks. "We will also remove dangerous hoardings without structural stability," he said.