Advertising Policy, is this a joke?
Do you know about the issues of BMC Advertising Policy as of today? There is a policy but with a lot of complications and it is of no use to anyone. And it is due to this that lakhs of people who are owning LED hoardings and are in the advertising business and have related businesses to it, are running from pillar to post to just Government take cognisance of something and make a fixed policy, which is acceptable to all the stakeholders of the industry. Imagine people like SignPost who are considered to be closest to the one’s in power have to sit outside BMC officer’s cabins to beg everyday to make the policy as even they cannot function properly. But neither the government has time, nor BMC has the time to follow up, and the committee appointed after the Ghakoper crash killing crash is yet to submit its report and amendments with it. While CM Fadnavis is busy in Davos and bringing in FDI for our state, imagine how those big companies would feel to know that in a city like Mumbai where we are investing crores of our funds, this city and state does not have an advertising policy.
The Advertising Policy Guidelines expired in 2018. In 2021, Hon High Court gave directions to the Urban Development Department to form policy guidelines which the Urban Development department formed, and it was informed to the BMC (who is the implementer of the policy for Mumbai city) to follow the guidelines without any option to make any changes and amendments. But then BMC in 2022 did not approve of many points that were in the guidelines as it did not suit all the stakeholders. In spite of no provision for any changes, BMC made amendments in the policy (in 2022) and floated it in the market claiming it as the new Advertising Policy 2022. The State government nor the HC were informed about it. It is to be noted that the 2022 Guidelines were issued by way of notification in the official gazette of the State Government in April 2022 and these policy guidelines were applicable for the term of 10 years. People were OK, finally there was a policy and no changes will be made for the next 10 years. Tenders were managed and deals were brokered.
Now one 1.5 shahna AMC, when it is clearly mentioned the policy cannot be reviewed for 10 years, decided to review it again (in 1.5 years in 2023) and after careful consideration, a fresh draft of the new advertising policy was floated in the market in August 2024 claiming it to be the ‘new advertising policy’. The Municipal Commissioner had changed by then. This new draft differed greatly from the 2022 policy which was approved by BMC. Now Justice Bhosale committee who was appointed by the State Government to submit a report on the Ghatkopar Hoarding crash is yet to submit his own report to the Government, and yet he had a say, that it will be him (who is representing the government currently ) who will submit the changes to be made in the policy. Now I feel the role of Justice Bhosale is to submit a report, he should do that and leave the policy decision to the stakeholders. Now when the fresh draft was issued in the form of a new policy, suggestions and objections were invited. You won’t believe there were over 400 suggestions and objections to the policy. Again everything came to a standstill.
Now I shall tell you, that in all of this confusion, neither the government knows what is happening, UDD is under the impression that what policy they sent it has been implemented since 2021, the BMC is in a fix as everyday advertisers are sitting on their head for not having a fixed policy, and advertisers are losing money every single day due to not a single policy being followed by any government stakeholder.
Mr. Chief Minister, I request you to immediately call all stakeholders of the Advertising field and let there be a new Advertising Policy with no amendments and let it be as per everyone’s joint meeting with all stakeholders. Let there be yourself with MoS, secretary, 2 UD officers, the AMC and MC of the BMC, few big players of advertising field, to know what is the reality and issue a fresh policy wherein there will a smoother road for advertisers and the implementers, i,e the state government!
Vikrant Hemant Joshi.
