Overview

The Outdoor Advertising Policy of Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation is designed to support the city's planned growth and visual development. It promotes organized and aesthetically pleasing advertising while contributing to the city's revenue and infrastructure development. The policy encourages responsible advertising practices, ensures that property taxes are up to date, and allows the Corporation to remove or relocate advertisement structures when required for public works, maintenance, or urban improvement projects.

Guiding Principles

The Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) envisions outdoor advertising as a regulated, responsible, and aesthetically integrated component of the urban landscape. All forms of outdoor advertisements within the jurisdiction of DMC shall adhere to the following guiding principles:

1. Outdoor advertising must complement and uphold Dibrugarh’s broader vision for a clean, orderly, and aesthetically pleasing urban environment. The policy is designed to support the city’s commitment to urban cleanliness, visual harmony, enhanced public safety, and sustainable revenue generation for civic development.
2. All outdoor advertisements shall be installed and maintained in a manner that ensures they do not obstruct the view of or distract motorists, cyclists, or pedestrians. Under no circumstances shall any advertising structure pose a risk to public safety or interfere with traffic signals, road signage, or emergency infrastructure.
3. The policy seeks to minimize visual pollution by imposing restrictions on the size, placement, and density of hoardings and billboards. Oversized hoardings shall be discouraged, and regulated spacing between advertising structures shall be enforced to protect the visual integrity of streetscapes and public spaces.
4. Preference shall be given to advertisements that are integrated with public utility infrastructure, such as bus shelters, public toilets, dustbins, and other designated street furniture. This approach aims to ensure that advertisements serve dual purposes—promoting services or products while contributing to urban functionality and convenience.
5. A clear distinction shall be maintained between commercial advertisements intended for promotional or marketing purposes, and self-advertising signage such as name boards or signboards that identify individual businesses, shops, or buildings. While self-advertising shall be regulated for uniformity and compliance, it will not be subjected to the same commercial advertising provisions and charges.
6. For displaying advertisements within Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation area, the agency/firm must possess a valid Trade License issued by DMC.

Legal Framework

• 1. Municipal Act, 1956 – Sections 293–297, 321 (advertisements, public nuisance, unsafe structures)
• 2.COTPA, 2003 – Section 5 – Prohibition on tobacco advertising.
• 3.National Building Code, 2016 – Safety compliance for structures
• 3.DMC Bye-Laws / Model Advertisement Policy (MoHUA) – Municipal permissions mandatory for all ads visible from public areas.

Prohibited Advertisements

• 1. Advertisement of Tobacco, alcohol, narcotics (as per COTPA, 2003).
• 2. Advertisement of Content with racial, caste, gender, or communal bias.
• 3. Advertisement promoting violence, obscenity, exploitation of women/children, cruelty to animals.
• 4. Advertisement of Political, religious hoardings in government premises or no-hoarding zones (except limited-duration exemptions).
• 5. Advertisement of Flashing, moving, laser, psychedelic, or rotating displays on municipal roads.
• 6. Advertisement violating laws (Drugs & Cosmetics Act, IPC, etc.).
• 7. Advertisement having sexual overtone.
• 8. Advertisement depicting cruelty to animals.
• 9. Advertisement glorifying violence.
• 10. Advertisements that are vulgar, indecent, or contain explicit depictions of nudity or pornographic content.
• 11. Lottery tickets, sweepstakes entries and slot machines related advertisements.
• 12. Advertisement of Weapons and related items (such as firearms, firearm parts and Magazines, Ammunition etc.)
• 13. Advertisements which may be defamatory, trade libellous, unlawfully threatening or unlawfully.
• 14. Destructive devices and explosives depicting items.
• 15. Any other items/advertisement considered inappropriate by the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation or the Government of Assam.
• 16. "No Hoarding Zones": There shall be few No Hoarding Zones in the city where all kind of private as Well as Government Advertisement is strictly prohibited. Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation reserves all rights to declare any street/area/locality as No Hoarding Zone.

Structural & Safety Norms

All advertising structures must:

1. Obtain prior DMC permission.
2. Avoid designs/colors resembling traffic signs (as per IRC: 67-2001).
3. Use downward-focused lighting; no glare or light spillage.
4. Prohibit upward lighting; no moving/flashing lights near roads.

Outdoor Advertisement Rate Structure (DMC)

Permission Process

All advertisements (temporary or permanent) need prior approval from DMC.

Temporary & Event-based Ads

• 1. Political, cultural, religious ads allowed only 4 days before/after an event, with prior intimation.
• 2. No political/religious hoardings at government buildings or no-hoarding zones.

Enforcement & Penalties

Non-compliance will attract:

1. Fines up to ₹1,00,000
2. Immediate removal/seizure
3. Cancellation of trade licenses/building permits
4. Legal action under relevant Acts
5. Auction of seized materials after due process

Special Provisions

• 1. Encourage free/concessional ad rights for agencies developing public amenities.
• 2. Prohibit wall-painted ads on private/government boundary walls; allow only approved murals or civic messages.
• 3. No ads on traffic islands/rotaries except road signage.
• 4. Digital screens promoted under strict controls.
• 5. Prior approval from the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation shall be mandatory for the installation and display of any rooftop advertisements within its jurisdiction.

Promotion and Regulation of Digital Display Screens

The installation of digital display screens at various strategic locations within the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation area shall be encouraged as a means of modern advertisement. A one-time fee, as determined by the competent authority of the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation, shall be levied at the time of granting permission for such installations. However, it shall be mandatory for the concerned agency/company to obtain prior approval from the Corporation regarding the specific location of each proposed digital display screen before installation.

1) Rate of Installation of Digital Display Screens: ₹ 100 per sq feet.

Mandatory Property Tax Clearance

No permission for installation, renewal, or continuation of any form of outdoor advertisement—whether in the form of hoardings, unipoles, digital displays, kiosks, or any other medium—shall be granted by the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation unless the applicant (individual/entity/agency/property owner) has paid all due property taxes in full up to the latest financial year.The applicant must submit a valid property tax receipt or clearance certificate issued by the Corporation’s Taxation Branch as proof of up-to-date payment along with the application for advertisement permission.In the event it is found that the applicant has furnished false information or the property tax dues are pending, the Corporation reserves the right to reject the application or revoke the granted permission with immediate effect, without any liability for compensation.

Authority for Removal

The Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) reserves the right to temporarily remove, dismantle, or relocate any outdoor advertisement structure—including unipoles, hoardings, banners, digital displays, or any similar media—without prior notice, if such removal is deemed necessary for the purpose of:

1. Road maintenance, repair, or widening,
2. Development, renovation, or repair of markets,
3. Any public utility work, infrastructure project, or civic maintenance within the municipal area,
4. Ensuring safety and smooth conduct of municipal or emergency services.

In such cases of removal due to municipal work, no compensation or damages shall be claimed by the owner/advertising agency. However, the DMC may allow the agency to reinstall the advertisement after completion of the work, subject to feasibility and renewed approval.

Right to Amend Policy Provisions

Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation reserves the right to modify, alter, or amend any of the provisions of this policy at any time, as deemed necessary, in the larger public interest.