Proposal to air advertisements in NMC gardens approved

The NMC (Nagpur Municipal Corporation) standing committee on Friday approved the proposal to launch audio advertisements in five gardens on a pilot basis. It will be installed in remaining gardens in phased manner after seeing citizens’ response.

Standing committee chairman Sandip Jadhav told the proposal has been approved as a new revenue model. “We will discontinue it if received complaints from citizens. I think the model will work out. We have made mandatory for the private agency to also play devotional and classical music as per requirement. Directives also given to play NMC’s schemes, projects and programmes. It can be a good medium for taking the NMC’s initiatives to the people,” he said.

As per the advertisement department’s proposal, revenue of Rs25,000 per annum will come from five gardens — Tulsibagh, Cotton Market, Gandhisagar Lake, Lakadganj and Balaji Nagar.
Audio advertisements will be played out in the five gardens for one minute every 15 minutes for 2.5 hours each in the morning and evening hours.

The standing committee did not fix any rate for advertisements or any system to screen contents of advertisements.
In the meeting, lucky draw was held to decided eight of 16 members of the standing committee whose terms would expire. As per norms, remaining eight members can continue for next one year. The political parties may not continue them and replace with new members.

Eight members who will exit include seven from BJP— Sangeeta Girhe, Rita Mule, Usha Pilot, Durga Hattithele, Bhagyashree Kantode, Manisha Kote, Sarita Kawre and one from Congress— Harish Gwalbanshi.
Though Jadhav escaped in lucky draw system, BJP sources told TOI he would not continue as chairman for second year.

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