Nagpur: Advertisement fees in the city are set to increase, with the standing committee approving a revised proposal on Tuesday along with a series of suggestions, including differential rates based on location and mandatory structure audits of hoardings.Standing committee chairperson Shivani Dani Wakhare said the proposal has been cleared by the panel but it will now be placed before the general body for final approval. Speaking to media after the meeting, she said the civic body must adopt a more market-driven approach while fixing rates.“I have suggested that hoardings and banners installed in high-footfall market areas should be charged more compared to those in low-footfall locations,” she said. Dani Wakhare also directed the advertisement dept to conduct a structural audit of all hoardings across the city limits to ensure safety and compliance.According to civic officials, if the revised rates are implemented, annual revenue from advertisement dept is expected to increase from the existing Rs13 crore to nearly Rs20 crore. Dani Wakhare clarified that the proposal is aimed at strengthening the civic body’s finances without putting undue burden on small advertisers.The meeting also witnessed a discussion on the city’s advertisement policy. Cong member Abhijeet Jha said the civic body must make concrete efforts to boost revenue by revising advertisement charges in line with other major municipal corporations. He pointed out that compared to civic bodies such as Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pimpri-Chinchwad, the rates proposed by Nagpur Municipal Corporation are comparatively low. He suggested that the civic body should target at least Rs10 crore in revenue from hoardings alone and present a revised proposal accordingly.However, opposition members alleged that despite their demand for a detailed discussion, the Dani Wakhare attempted to push the proposal without allowing adequate debate. The issue has also raised questions about the functioning of the standing committee and the manner in which key financial decisions are being taken.As per the proposal, the revised rates would apply to hoardings, wall posters, illuminated advertisements, gantry gates and LED-based display screens. The administration plans to implement the new charges from April 1, subject to approval by the general body.INFOBOX | OTHER KEY PROPOSALS APPROVED BY STANDING COMMITTEE• Healthy Streets project: Development of pedestrian-friendly stretches in Shankar Nagar and Dharampeth approved at a cost of over Rs25 crore after acceptance of the lowest bidder• Extension of services: Services of three retired deputy engineers working on contract in the project department extended for another six months. Estimated expenditure: around Rs14.5 lakh• CC roads in Kasturba Nagar (zone 10): Administrative approval granted for cement concrete road works worth Rs1.49 crore• CC road near Dayanand School, Jaripatka: Proposal for road work worth approximately Rs 49.9 lakh cleared by the panel
