A new policy is being formulated to allow advertisement hoardings on vacant government land in Maharashtra. This initiative aims to boost revenue and introduces fresh guidelines for District Collectors across the state. On Wednesday, Additional Chief Secretary of the Revenue Department, Rajesh Kumar, along with senior revenue officials, presented a detailed proposal in the presence of Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Minister of State Yogesh Kadam. During the meeting, Minister Bawankule emphasized that the policy framework must be inclusive, taking into account the specifics of each district.
Under the new policy, District Collectors are instructed to identify suitable government land in their respective districts for setting up advertisement hoardings. The proposal mandates the inclusion of land area details and hoarding sizes. An e-auction process will be conducted for allotment.
The successful bidder must provide the hoardings for government advertisements free of cost for a minimum of seven days each quarter. Once the lease term ends, the agreement will be terminated with no extensions granted under any circumstances. However, if a court stay causes a delay, the lessee will have to pay double the original fees.
District Collectors are also required to complete the next e-auction process six months before the current lease expires. Before installing any hoarding, lessees must secure permissions from planning authorities, the Collector, and other relevant agencies.
Each Collector must submit monthly reports to the government on all approved, expired, or cancelled hoardings. An annual license fee will be charged for the hoardings, the amount of which will be defined in the policy. The government stresses that the policy should be transparent, protect local interests, and support revenue generation.
Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Revenue Minister said that only agencies registered with the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations will be eligible. Companies must have a minimum of three years of experience, and the agency owner must be a native of Maharashtra. The entire process will be executed under the strict supervision of the Revenue Department.