Hyderabad: The State government initiated steps to implement the Telangana new advertisement policy to curb illegal hoardings in the Core Urban Region and enhance municipal revenue.
Officials prepared a draft framework and revised it based on suggestions from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy during a recent review. The government will place the proposal before the Cabinet on the 23rd of this month for approval.
Authorities plan to enforce the Telangana new advertisement policy uniformly across three municipal corporations. The Chief Minister reviewed the proposal in detail at a high-level meeting. Earlier, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation permitted commercial advertisements on hoardings and unipoles. However, strong winds in 2020 caused several structures to collapse, leading to accidents. Consequently, the corporation imposed a ban.
Advertising agencies later approached the court, citing heavy investment losses due to the ban. Although the previous BRS administration drafted a policy, it did not introduce it formally. The present government has revived the process and advanced the proposal.
Telangana new advertisement policy adopts PPP model
The government decided to roll out the policy under a Public Private Partnership model. Under this framework, private agencies will install selected hoardings and unipoles for a fixed term. After the agreed period, they will transfer the assets to the respective civic body.
This structure will reduce upfront expenditure for corporations. At the same time, it will generate steady revenue through regulated allocations. Authorities have identified locations near traffic signals, flyovers and select private buildings for installations.
Moreover, officials will closely monitor maintenance standards. The Chief Minister directed departments to prevent revenue leakage and ensure transparency in allotment and supervision. He also instructed them to define clear zones and cap the number of hoardings and unipoles.
The draft mandates that 10 per cent of total advertisement space be reserved for government schemes. The remaining space will be allocated through an online auction process to ensure transparency and competition. Officials are finalising operational guidelines before Cabinet discussion of the Telangana new advertisement policy.
