A hoarding at the Income Tax roundabout advertising JD(U)’s Adhikar Rally. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

The civic body has finally woken up to collecting revenue against Adhikar Rally display hoardings that have swamped the state capital.

Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has tightened the noose to collect payment against hundreds of posters and hoardings of the JD(U) rally put up in every nook and cranny of the city. Apparently, the JD(U) workers, who put up the hoardings for the November 4 rally, thronged the PMC office on Monday, the first working day after the week-long Puja vacation, to pay for the advertisements.

PMC commissioner Pankaj Kumar Pal told The Telegraph: “PMC is going to collect payment against every inch of advertisement space used for the Adhikar Rally. Estimates are being worked out for big billboards and small banners as well. The process for collecting payment would start within a day or two.”

Pal, however, claimed that permission for all hoardings has been taken from the PMC. “Permission for all the hoardings and posters in the city has been taken from the civic body. People, who put up the hoardings, were also in talks with us for making the corresponding payments but could not because of the holidays. After recent media reports related to non-payment against hoardings, hundreds of people approached us to pay up,” he said.

But former deputy mayor Vinay Kumar alleged: “The advertising mafia is behind all this. Many outdoor advertising giants are hand in glove with the people who put up Adhikar Rally hoardings. The party concerned should make all outstanding payments.”

JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh claimed that the party had not put up any hoarding. A few ad agencies claimed that the party workers had put up the posters and banners with their consent.