Many large billboards "illegally placed" in Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - Many large billboards (over 40m2) were built without a building permit, not in accordance with regulations, and not in accordance with standards. The violations were clear, but when violations were discovered, it was even more "difficult" to ask the investor to dismantle the construction.
Many "underground" billboards
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| 2 billboards of Royal Foods Nghe An Co., Ltd. and Fresh Food Cold Storage Co., Ltd. were built without a license. Photo: Pham Bang |
For more than 6 months now, the large billboard of Thu Do Development Trading Joint Stock Company located next to the Vinh City bypass road, in Hung Loi commune, Hung Nguyen district has not been dismantled. This billboard was granted Construction Permit No. 88/GPXD-UBND by the People's Committee of Hung Nguyen district on March 29, 2018. While this company was installing it, on April 29, 2018, the Traffic Construction Corporation 4 - Vinh City Bypass BOT Branch sent Official Dispatch No. 1333/BOT-KTKT to the Road Management Department 2; Provincial Traffic Safety Committee; Hung Nguyen District People's Committee and Thu Do Development Trading Joint Stock Company requesting to stop installing the billboard on the grounds that it did not ensure road safety distance.
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| The billboard of Thu Do Development Trading Joint Stock Company is located next to the Vinh City bypass road, which was built without ensuring road safety distance. Photo: Pham Bang |
According to Circular No. 50/2015 of the Ministry of Transport on road safety distance limits when constructing temporary billboards within the road safety corridor of national highways, the width of the billboard from the edge of the road to the nearest point of the billboard must be at least 1.3 times the height of the billboard (the highest point of the billboard) and must not be less than 5m. However, in reality, the nearest point of the billboard surface is only 4m from the edge of the Vinh City bypass road. The Road Management Department 2 has repeatedly sent official dispatches to the People's Committee of Hung Nguyen district requesting the investor to dismantle the above construction. However, to date, this billboard still exists despite the violations.
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| The billboards of Tan A Production and Trading Company Limited and Son Ha Nghe An Company Limited were built illegally. Photo: Pham Bang |
For many months now, in Zone B, Nam Cam Industrial Park, 3 billboards of companies: Royal Foods Nghe An Co., Ltd., Fresh Food Cold Storage Co., Ltd., Son Ha Nghe An One Member Co., Ltd. have been standing still like "plants in the sky" even though the authorities have notified them to dismantle the construction because the project does not have a construction permit. Specifically, the billboards of Royal Foods Nghe An Co., Ltd. and Fresh Food Cold Storage Co., Ltd. are 7x10m in size, the top height is about +25.5m from the +0.00 from the foundation surface; the center of the billboard is 25.8m from the shoulder of the national highway, the nearest edge of the billboard is about 22m from the shoulder of the national highway, a violation of the regulations issued with Decision 59/2017 of the Provincial People's Committee of 3m. When the Management Board of the Southeast Economic Zone went to inspect, these companies could not provide relevant legal documents.
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| Advertisement board of Son Ha Nghe An Company Limited built without a license. Photo: Pham Bang |
Also in Zone B, Nam Cam Industrial Park, there is an advertising board of Tan A Production and Trading Company Limited along National Highway 1A in front of the factory fence that was built inconsistently with the issued construction permit. An advertising board of Vic Trading Company Limited was built before 2008, and is no longer in accordance with national regulations and standards on construction and installation of outdoor advertising media. In Dien Chau district, according to the review, there are 4 large billboards in the area, but to date, no advertising construction works are eligible for a construction permit.
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| The billboard of Vic Trading Company Limited built before 2008 is no longer in compliance with national regulations and standards on construction and installation of outdoor advertising media. Photo: Pham Bang |
Reviewing some illegal billboards to confirm that this situation is not an isolated one but in reality happens a lot. This has also been recognized by the Provincial People's Committee and in the latest document signed by Mr. Le Minh Thong - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, it is stated that, in the past time, in the province, there have been a number of violations of the law in the licensing and installation of billboards such as: Installing billboards not in accordance with approved planning, without a construction permit; installing not in accordance with the granted construction permit; not having a notification file or not implementing the content of the notification; writing and placing billboards not in accordance with regulations...
If you see something wrong, just… remind.
Although there are many large billboards without construction permits within the management area, the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board said that when discovering units building billboards without permits or not meeting standards, the board sent an official dispatch requesting the enterprises to dismantle the billboards and if these companies did not dismantle them, they would be held responsible before the law and subject to administrative penalties. However, to date, no enterprise has dismantled the illegal construction as requested by the board.
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| Despite being requested to be dismantled by the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board, these billboards still exist. Photo: Pham Bang |
Similarly, after discovering many violations in the construction of large billboards, the leaders of Dien Chau District People's Committee still affirmed that the inspection and examination work has been strengthened. However, for violations, only reminders have been issued and no administrative sanctions have been imposed. In an official dispatch sent to the Department of Culture and Sports, Dien Chau District People's Committee said that outdoor propaganda and advertising activities are systematically planned, ensuring aesthetics and safety. The District People's Committee has issued a set of administrative procedures on the registration process for advertising construction, but to date, no advertising construction works have met the conditions for granting construction permits.
According to Decision 59/2017/QD-UBND dated September 22, 2017 on construction and installation of outdoor advertising and propaganda facilities, the Provincial People's Committee assigned the responsibility of granting construction permits for advertising works to districts, cities and towns. For outdoor advertising works in the Southeast Economic Zone and industrial parks in Nghe An province, the authority to grant construction permits is assigned to the Southeast Economic Zone Management Board. The province also assigned the responsibility of inspecting, detecting and promptly handling violations of advertising activities to many sectors. However, in reality, it can be seen that the responsibility of sectors and localities at the district level is not high.
Realizing that the violations are becoming more and more complicated, the Department of Culture and Sports has requested the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to inspect, review and make statistics on billboards in the area, especially large billboards. The Department has also requested localities to implement and compile reports to send to the Department before October 25, 2018. However, according to Mr. Hoang Minh Phuong - Deputy Head of the Department of Cultural Management, Department of Culture and Sports, by November 15, less than 10 localities had submitted reports. Among them, there were districts that reported in general and sketchy ways, without clearly stating the current situation and results of inspection and handling of violations.
To rectify and handle illegal activities in the field of advertising in the province, Vice Chairman of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee Le Minh Thong requested departments, districts, cities and towns to strengthen inspection and handling of violations of advertising activities in the province. "Departments and districts must seriously, promptly and in accordance with legal regulations handle billboards that are installed in violation of planning, without construction permits, without notification records or expired advertising. In addition, it is necessary to monitor and rectify the licensing of billboard construction to ensure compliance with regulations; inspect and take timely measures to handle violations of traffic safety corridors on routes managed by the province", said the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.