EXCLUSIVE: BMC clarifies, OOH agencies and not advertisers responsible in case of ad-hoarding mishaps
A senior BMC official told Storyboard18 that in such incidents, the OOH agency is regarded as the offender, not the advertiser.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) confirmed on Wednesday that the Out-of-Home (OOH) agency, rather than the advertisers, will be held responsible in the event of a mishap. BMC’s draft policy includes terms like permit holder, advertiser, and agency to clarify accountability in case of an accident. A senior BMC official told Storyboard18 that in such incidents, the OOH agency is regarded as the offender, not the advertiser.
Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Commissioner (Special) of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, told Storyboard18, “The hoarding applicant will be responsible for any mishap. BMC does not deal with advertisers; we deal with OOH agencies when granting permissions to erect hoardings, etc.”
Further elaborating, Dighavkar said, “An advertiser deals with the OOH agency and not with BMC. For example, if there is an OOH campaign for Dabur or Bisleri, and we find any irregularities, the OOH agency will be responsible for the incident, not the advertisers.”
Dighavkar added, “There is no way that the advertiser will be penalized in the case of a mishap or will be held responsible.”
A senior BMC official said, “When it comes to registering an offense against the defaulter in the event of an accident, the complaint is filed against the OOH agency, not the advertiser. It is the responsibility of the agency to follow all the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure there are no accidents or mishaps due to the OOH installation.”
