Patna, Dec. 26: The civic body today removed 10 billboards near Mauryalok Complex as part of its ongoing drive against unauthorised hoardings.

Sources in Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) said employees of outdoor advertising agencies, whose hoardings were being removed, tried to stop the civic body workers but the drive was carried out successfully.

Senior PMC officers claimed that in the past nine days, over 350 unauthorised billboards have been removed from different places in the state capital.

“The drive is at present being carried out in New Capital circle. So far, illegal hoardings have been removed from Frazer Road, Dakbungalow Road, Exhibition Road and Gandhi Maidan. The drive will continue till we remove every single unauthorised hoarding in the city,” said a senior PMC officer.

Sources said a survey team also accompanies the demolition team when the drive is enforced.

“We are bringing down every hoarding — private or government-owned — that does not have registration and permit numbers on them. Then, there are some whose registrations have not been renewed, as they have not paid the requisite fee. Even those hoardings are being removed,” the officer added.

On December 4, the civic body had given a seven-day ultimatum to outdoor advertising agencies, asking them to pay outstanding dues and had threatened to remove the hoardings if they failed to do so.

Sources said none of the agencies complied with the orders.

PMC’s report on revenue collection shows that not a penny has been earned from outdoor advertising agencies in the past two years. Sources said this was a huge loss to the coffers of the cash-strapped civic body.

The civic body officials claimed that it is irregularity on the part of advertising agencies. Therefore, the civic body has initiated a crackdown on defaulting agencies, the officials said.

A source said: “Through audit in the municipal corporation, it has come to light that advertising agencies, in connivance with some of PMC officials, have caused losses to the tune of Rs 5 crore to the civic body.”

According to sources, PMC has identified 900 illegal hoardings in the state capital and is in the process of dismantling them. The actual number of unauthorised billboards could be higher though.

“According to the records, 125 hoardings in the corporation area are on government land and 676 on private land or buildings. There is no data on unauthorised billboards. There are hundreds of illegal hoardings in the corporation area,” said a source.