Tirupati Roads Turn Publicity Spaces, Spiritual Character Takes a Hit
There is a wide gap between the scale of outdoor advertising visible across the spiritual city and the publicity revenue being collected by the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati.
TIRUPATI: The roads of Tirupati, including those leading to Tirumala, are dotted with banners and flex boards put up for political greetings, birthdays, and various events; leading to concerns over the waning spiritual character of the temple city.
From roadside poles and dividers to footpaths and junctions, almost every available space is being used for publicity. Political leaders and their supporters put up flex boards to mark birthdays and other occasions. Commercial and private advertisements add to the number.
The characteristics are particularly visible on the roads leading to Tirumala and other temples. With thousands of pilgrims taking these roads every day, locals said the city streets and roads should present a spiritual and neat ambience. “Banners and advertisements have become common on almost every major road and junction," a resident pointed out.
Political banners are a major eyesore, particularly on birthdays of political leaders and their family members and on other occasions. Supporters put up large flex boards at major junctions and along busy roads, adding to the existing clutter. Banners are often put up overnight and remain even days after the events are over.
This has brought the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) under scrutiny. Several banners do not carry any visible indication of municipal permission and payment of the prescribed advertising fee. This raises questions over how effective the civic body is in monitoring outdoor publicity.
Sources said the MCT collects only around ₹1.50 crore a year in advertising revenue against an estimated potential of nearly ₹11 crore. Municipal records list around 36 cantilevers and 200 hoardings and advertisements at 45 bus shelters. Sources said the actual number of advertising structures would be much higher. There are more than 12 advertising and publicity agencies operating in the city.
These figures point to a gap between the scale of outdoor advertising visible across Tirupati and the revenue being collected by the civic body.
