BBMP Commissioner orders survey of structures used for advertising

The High Court of Karnataka has time and again directed the civic body to remove all illegal hoardings, flexes and banners

BBMP is not allowing commercial hoardings in the interest of the city’s aesthetics.

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad has issued an order to zonal joint commissioners and zonal engineers to conduct a survey of iron structures that are used for advertisements, including the ones that do not have advertisements on them.

The High Court of Karnataka has time and again directed the civic body to remove all such illegal hoardings, flexes and banners.

The Commissioner has directed the officials concerned to prepare a list of such commercial hoardings at sub-division and ward levels along with tax and penalties imposed and paid, and FIRs registered, and submit it as soon as possible.

Sources in the BBMP said that there were a few cases regarding some commercial hoardings that were in the court. A senior BBMP official said that most of the illegal commercial structures have been removed by the civic body, and it was a “continuous process”.

“However, even after removing those huge hoardings and advertisements, iron structures and skeleton structures have remained. Now a survey of such structures will be conducted, identified and action will be taken as per law,” the official said. He added that identifying such structures was a continuous process and it was being done with the assistance of the police.

“Section 138 (removal of unauthorised advertisements) of the KMC Act is used for removal of illegal advertisements after issuing show-cause notice to the persons or agencies concerned. Action can also be taken based on the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981, against illegal advertisements, flexes, banners, hoardings,” the official added.

The official said that removal of such large hoardings was also aimed at minimising distractions and to promote traffic safety and prohibit the use of materials harmful to the environment.

In November 2019, the Karnataka High Court had directed the State government to issue necessary instructions empowering city corporations to take action against illegal advertisements, flexes, hoardings. It had also directed the government to issue instructions to the police department to register FIRs under relevant sections based on complaints by officers of city corporations and municipalities.