The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday told the Karnataka High Court that no advertisement of any nature of any material shall be allowed, and the remaining advertisement structures that are under adjudication process shall not be dismantled till the proposed outdoor signage and public messaging by-laws come into force.
Also, BBMP counsel V. Sreenidhi submitted that various advertisement agencies and their association, who are seeking permission of the court to be part of the PIL petitions through which the court is monitoring BBMP’s action against illegal hoardings, banners and flexes, need not be heard during adjudication of the PIL petitions.
Earlier, Advocate-General Udaya Holla said that nobody, including the advertisement agencies who want to be part of the PIL petitions, can have any grievances for removal of illegal hoardings, while contending that advertisement agencies are not necessary parties for adjudicating the PIL petitions as no relief was sought against them in the PIL petitions.
Mr. Holla also pointed out that many advertisement agencies, including those who are seeking to be part of the PIL petition proceedings, too have filed separate writ petitions before the single-judge bench questioning the BBMP’s decision of banning outdoor advertisement for a period of one year as well as BBMP’s adjudication order of rejecting their claim on legality of the advertisement structures put up by them.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice S. Sujatha adjourned further hearing till December 19, asking the counsel for advertisement agencies to weigh the pros and cons of their plea to implead in the PIL proceedings.
