Kolkata, 19 September (H.S.) : The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has introduced a standardized operating procedure and a specific time window for Durga Puja organizers intending to erect advertisement hoardings across the city during the upcoming festival. According to the newly issued civic guidelines, the display period for these promotional structures is strictly restricted to seven days before Mahalaya and seven days after Bijaya Dashami.

Enforcing stringent regulations on visual clutter and public safety, the civic body has mandated that the height of any hoarding cannot exceed 22 feet from the ground level under any circumstances. Furthermore, an official source stated that the municipal corporation has decided to impose fines and additional charges, in accordance with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act of 1980, if any advertisements, structural frames, or bamboo scaffoldings are found standing beyond the permitted timeframe. This penalty will be levied in addition to the standard regular advertisement fees.

To ensure compliance with the new regulations, Puja organizers are now required to submit a formal declaration or undertaking to obtain a mandatory no-objection certificate from the civic authorities before erecting any promotional structures.

Meanwhile, municipal sources indicate that the corporation is also reviewing regulations concerning the placement of commercial stalls during the festivities. The civic body is currently exploring options to determine the mandatory safe distance for installing food stalls around the Puja pandals and is expected to announce specific operational guidelines regarding this matter shortly.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh