Bhubaneswar, Nov 28: On the heels of a controversy over the pulling down of hoardings ahead of BJP president Amit Shah's rally here on November 25, the municipal corporation today decided to formulate specific guidelines for putting up billboards in the city.

Civic body sources said they would form a committee, which would formulate guidelines and submit them to the government for approval.

"At present, there are no specific guidelines for political hoardings as different parties are putting up their posters in a haphazard manner across the city," said a senior civic body official.

On November 24, BJP activists protested over removal of party's posters by the civic body. The BJP members alleged that the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation had on purpose removed the BJP posters before Amit Shah's arrival in the city for the November 25 rally. They had damaged the corporation vehicles and also detained two civic body workers in protest.

The official said this practice was ruining the skyline of the city and, therefore, it had become necessary to bring in uniform guidelines for all political hoardings.

"Political parties are supposed to pay charges when they put up their hoardings at designated places, but they don't pay anything when they do the same on walls, electric poles or such other places," he said.

The officials today also submitted another proposal to the government to raise the fine amount on other illegal hoardings from Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000. "We have discussed with our officials and decided to tighten the noose on those violating the advertisement norms. The primary objective of the move is to keep the beauty of the city intact," said municipal commissioner Krishan Kumar.

The civic body had already decided to declare the stretch from Master Canteen Square to 120 Infantry Battalion Square via Rabindra Mandap Square to Raj Bhavan Square via Power House Square as a no-hoarding zone.

"We have already started removing illegal billboards from Raj Mahal Square. In the next phase, we will identify and remove such hoardings from the newly declared no-hoarding zone," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

Residents also welcomed the decision of the city administration to take such stringent measures for the removal of the illegal billboards.

"The decision is good, but the officials should ensure strict implementation of the rules. They should come forward and remove the illegal hoardings at once. It is their duty to maintain the beauty of the city," said Patia resident Akshita Modi.

Social worker Alok Mishra said other advertisements were all right, but political hoardings often defaced the city's walls and medians.

"Many political parties, be it the ruling party or the opposition, put up their billboards between the median - which distract motorists. The civic body should remove hoardings from such places and declare medians free from advertisement," said Mishra.