June 26, 2007	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 10, 1428

LAHORE, June 25: The billboards obstructing the view of heritage sites will be removed after improving the registration process of advertisers, according to a policy report on publicity boards finalised by the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA).

Under the policy, no publicity board will be installed in the vicinity of heritage sites and only non-rented public facilitation boards will be installed near heritage sites. Existing boards will be phased out, reads the Policy Report on Publicity Boards of 2007.

According to a policy letter No PHA/DG/PS/03-07, present lease holders of advertisement hoardings and billboards all over the city can use the boards for a certain time before these sites are auctioned or removed considering their contractual commitments with their clients.

The PHA has decided a maximum grace period up to June 30, 2008, will be given to the board holders and it will not be extended.

New lease period of sites put to auction will be two to three years.

The policy says the registration process of advertisers will be improved. Only those advertisers will be eligible for registration who have at least one year experience in the field of merchandising. They will have to deposit Rs500,000 with the PHA as a refundable security.

A committee consisting of representatives of the PHA, Environment Protection Department, traffic police and civil society will be formed to identify new sites and remove improperly installed boards.

New advertising sites will be leased through open auction.

Sites for sky signs on rooftops of private properties will also be approved by the proposed committee while Shop signage will be uniformed. A website will be launched to allocate poles for streamers and sites for banners.

Northern Circle Federal Archaeology Department Director Saleemul Haq told Dawn heritage sites would look elegant after billboards are removed from the sites.

He said billboards obstructed the view of Badshahi Mosque from Niazi Chowk. He praised the PHA for taking the step. Mr Haq said the Archaeology Department had not formed any policy regarding billboards display in the surroundings of a monument except that no billboard could be installed inside a monument or on its rooftop.

Punjab Archaeology Department Director General Shahbaz Khan also praised the step. He said under the Special Premises Preservation Ordinance of 1985, no one was allowed to put a billboard on a monument. He said billboards in the city blocked the view of historical monuments.

He said billboards and hoardings in the city also posed a threat to the people in summer when windstorms struck billboards, they fell down on people or damaged electricity supply.