A drive in this regard was launched recently to clear the city of all illegal billboards before the Pujas.

Billboards were pulled down at Shakespeare Sarani, Loudon Street, Ballygunge Circular Road, Sarat Bose Road, Manohar Pukur Lane, Hazra Crossing, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Road and Prince Anwar Shah Road.

"The drive will continue till the Pujas," said Faiyaz Ahmed Khan, MMiC, Advertisement department.

According to KMC regulations, the size of a hoarding in the city, except in the Added Areas, should be restricted to 800 sq ft.

This restriction is, however, not applicable for hoardings on the E M Bypass. But the advertisement agencies seldom follow this regulation.

In central Kolkata as well as in the busy stretches of South Kolkata, advertisement agencies pay hefty amounts to a section of locals who are given the task of maintaining such illegal hoardings.

Sources alleged that some Advertisement department inspectors are also involved in this.

Prior to August this year, the KMC did not have a list of legal hoardings in the city. "According to the recent list of legal hoardings, there are 319 permanent street hoardings in the city," said Debashis Sen, Senior Manager, Advertising department.