Hyderabad to Allow Unipoles, Hoardings Again
HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has cleared a new advertisement policy, with departments drafting detailed guidelines. The policy is expected to come into force within a month.
Officials said the policy aims to curb illegal installations, generate revenue for three municipal corporations, and prevent accidents linked to hoardings in the past. Advertisements will be allowed in seven categories. Unipoles and hoardings, which were stopped in 2020, are set to get permission again. Banners and flex boards will be restricted to government buildings and government lands.
Five-year tenders, 10% space for welfare schemes
In the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits, there has been no permission for large unipoles and hoardings since 2020. However, in the erstwhile 27 municipalities, agencies erected large unipoles and hoardings and earned revenue.
Since 2022, the government has not permitted large hoardings and unipoles in suburban areas either. Agencies allegedly installed them illegally in Shamshabad, Kompally, Ghatkesar, Narsingi, Manikonda, Badangpet, Medchal and Dundigal, among other places, without paying any fee to the government for four years. After the merger, GHMC identified the issue and decided to introduce a new policy.
Under the policy, advertisements will not be allowed across all areas. Instead, commercial hubs and high-footfall public places will be identified for installations. The government is likely to permit four unipoles per kilometre.
Hoardings and unipoles on government buildings and lands will be allotted to agencies through auction. Those seeking to install advertisements on private land must apply, and allotments will be made through a tender process. Rates per square foot will be fixed based on commercial, semi-commercial and residential zones, as well as advertisement size.
Officials said special locations will be earmarked for political meetings and leaders’ birthday celebrations, instead of allowing floating advertisements along roads.
Hoardings on houses and apartment buildings are unlikely to get permission due to safety concerns during strong winds.
Projects taken up under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model will get priority under the policy. As a pilot, the firm that set up a multi-level parking facility near KBR Park will be allowed to display advertisements through digital screens.
Ten per cent of advertisement space will be reserved for publicity of government welfare schemes and development programmes. While allotments were earlier made annually, the new policy proposes five-year tenders. The first year’s charges must be deposited in advance into the GHMC account.
