BMC To Launch Integrated App To Check Illegal Hoardings In Odisha Capital

Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is working on developing a GIS-based integrated portal and mobile application to regulate the display of advertisements effectively and increase revenue generation across the capital city.

BMC has invited Request for Proposal (RFP) for development of the application by January 20.

According to sources, the corporation has sought a request for proposal (RFP) from stakeholders to finalise the agency and hand over the task of developing the software for the same.

Officials said the civic body intends to digitise the records of outdoor media advertisements such as hoardings, bulletins, kiosks, LED displays, etc displayed on both government and private lands and buildings by the advertisers.

While BMC selects agencies and advertisers to display outdoor media advertisements through a competitive bidding process, it collects an annual license fee as stipulated in tax on advertisement regulation, 2012 from the agencies and stakeholders concerned for the display of advertisements.

However, officials said that digitisation and automation of activities with the help of the software to be called ‘Integrated Web, GIS and Android-based Solution for Management of Hoarding’ will help in checking such illegal installations and collection of advertisement fees from the agencies effectively.

“The application will help in establishing a strong visual link between the location of a hoarding onto the GIS platform and its corresponding data would provide a spatial dimension to the hoarding management,” TNIE reported a BMC official as saying. He added that it will also help in intensifying enforcement against violators.