The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) informed the Karnataka High Court on Monday that the State government has approved a new by-law aimed at addressing the issue of illegal hoardings and flexes throughout the city.
The new by-law, known as the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Advertisement) By-Laws 2024, will also include provisions for penal action against offenders, according to the municipal body.
The public has been invited to submit objections, after which the State will issue a gazette notification to formally enact the by-law, BBMP informed a Bench consisting of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and KV Aravind. The Bench was reviewing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the problem of illegal hoardings in Bengaluru.
On July 12 of this year, the Bench had noted a news report indicating that municipal authorities had recently removed over six lakh unauthorized advertisements and hoardings across the city. The Court had previously warned the Municipal Commissioner and the Bengaluru Police Commissioner that contempt proceedings would be initiated if their orders to remove such hoardings were not followed.
On Monday, the Court urged for enhanced cooperation between civic authorities and city police regarding the enforcement of orders to remove illegal hoardings. “It is expected that by-laws will include penal stipulations which may serve as a deterrent and facilitate penal action against defaulters and wrongdoers. Provisions are incorporated to obligate the corporation authorities to ensure continuous monitoring of illegal flexes and prevent potential mishaps during seasons like monsoon due to unauthorized flexes,” the High Court stated.
The Court also indicated that it might consider expanding the scope of the current PIL to encompass the entire State in future hearings.
The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on September 26, 2024.
