What Action Taken Against Illegal Hoardings & Banners? Karnataka High Court Asks BBMP

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday expressed concerns about the mushrooming of illegal hoardings, flexes and banners in the city of Bengaluru and asked the Bruhat Bengaluru Nagar Palike about the actions taken by it against such illegal hoardings. Senior Advocate Professor Ravivarma Kumar, appearing for the petitioner, informed a division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit that commercial hoardings can be erected only with prior permission of the corporation in terms of the BBMP Act 2020. "For reasons best known to the corporation, it is unable to place on record details whether these commercial hoardings which are in a way of mushroom growing in this town are erected either with prior permission or with necessary payment of fees to the corporation", he said. It added, “There cannot be any dispute that such mushrooming of erecting hoardings would not only cause a serious disturbance in the free traffic movement but it also results in loss of revenue.” The bench said that the senior counsel is justified in stating that "the growth of such hoardings leads to create an impression in the mind of the general public that either authorities of corporation are casual in their duties or for reasons best known to them, they are showing utter negligence to their duties". “We hope and trust that the corporation would take serious note of these observations and would file a proper detailed, comprehensive statement of objection/response, in this court within three weeks from today.