Kolkata, 23 September (H.S.): Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata may have to pay significantly higher civic taxes for installing LED advertisements at puja pandals this year. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Wednesday announced that organisers must obtain prior permission by depositing a fee of Rs 600 per square foot for each LED advertisement.

According to the civic body’s directive, the permission ID number issued by the KMC must also be displayed alongside the LED advertisement. A special QR code is reportedly being incorporated into permission IDs issued for hoardings, banners and LED advertisements to prevent fraudulent use of permissions.

LED advertising has become an important source of revenue for several prominent puja committees, with advertisements on large digital screens generating substantial sums for their funds. However, advertising agencies and organisers are now concerned about the impact of the new civic charges. Depending on the size of the LED display, the daily civic tax could reportedly range from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000, while a jumbo-sized LED display could attract a tax of up to Rs 50,000 per day.

The new directive comes after the civic body made prior permission mandatory for installing temporary gates, hoardings and banners during the Durga Puja season. Organisers have been instructed to submit written applications to the KMC’s Advertisement Department between September 20 and 25.

Under the civic guidelines, no hoarding, flex or banner can be installed before October 3. All puja-related hoardings must be removed from the roads by October 29, after the festivities.

The KMC has also stipulated that temporary bamboo gates erected for advertising purposes must not exceed 22 feet in height. Hoardings, banners and flexes must be positioned in a manner that does not obstruct existing permanent hoardings, streetlights or passenger shelters.

Approved hoardings must prominently display the KMC permission ID, the name of the puja committee and the name and phone number of the advertiser. The measures are aimed at regulating temporary advertising installations during the festive season and ensuring compliance with civic regulations.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey