KMC’s new policy to give it monopoly over revenues from ads in the city

Kolkata: Besides increasing funds for councillors and boroughs, Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Firhad Hakim on Tuesday also said that a new policy will be introduced where the civic body will have the monopoly over the returns from advertisements in the city.

The Mayor announced that what was before a total of Rs 40 lakh, will now be increased to Rs 50 lakh which includes funds for councillors and boroughs. It was learnt that such a step was taken keeping in

mind that a considerable amount from the fund is deducted for GST.

Meanwhile, the Mayor said that keeping in mind the major revenue loss from the advertisement department in 2023-24, KMC will soon implement a new policy after it is passed in the next MMIC meeting.

He said: “The KMC targets to earn a total of Rs 100 crore from advertisement but this is not enough. Some parties have taken monopoly over advertisements in the city and instead of giving the revenues to KMC, puts it into their pockets. Illegal hoardings are a big reason for revenue loss.”

He highlighted: “I have now made it mandatory that QR codes need to be used in every hoardings. Hoardings without the code will be pulled

down by KMC.”

It was learnt that according to the new policy, for infrastructures constructed and maintained by Kolkata Port, Eastern Railway/ Metro Railway, or any other central government authority within KMC jurisdiction for displaying ads, revenue sharing with KMC has to be 50:50 ratio basis.

Previously, there were some ambiguities for collecting advertisement licence fees from the commercial advertisements allotted by Eastern Railway, Metro Railway, etc. at their land premises which was extruded through the KMC Act amendment done in June 2023. Henceforth, the advertisement department can collect licence fees from such ads.

In 2023-24, KMC is learnt to have collected Rs 25 lakh from fines imposed on illegal advertisements.