Illegal Hoardings in Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court Calls for Action Against Erring Officers
BENGALURU:
The High Court of Karnataka emphasized the need to take decisive action against the officers of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city’s civic body, responsible for the proliferation of illegal hoardings. The court urged that these actions should be pursued to their logical conclusion.
The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit, was presiding over an ongoing public interest litigation filed by Mayige Gowda, a concerned resident of the city, against the rampant presence of illegal hoardings and advertisements.
The BBMP presented the court with a detailed account of the measures taken in response to the court’s directives.
It was revealed that show cause notices had been issued to “officers who displayed negligence or were slow and apathetic in carrying out their duties.” The highest number of notices, as of August 9, 2023, were issued in the East Zone, totaling 85 officers. In the West Zone, 30 officers received notices, while 17 were issued in the South Zone, one in Mahadevapura, five in RR Nagar, ten in Yelahanka, and four in Dasarahalli.
According to the compliance report submitted by the BBMP, a meeting was chaired by the Special Commissioner (Revenue) on September 2, wherein all relevant officers were directed to file FIRs as per the court’s instructions and report on the removal of unauthorized hoardings.
On September 20, the Chief Commissioner held a meeting with Zonal and Joint Commissioners, issuing further instructions to comply with the court’s orders. As part of the action plan, a survey was conducted on approximately 1,400 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the first phase, with the aim of identifying and removing illegal structures and hoardings. Teams, consisting of executive engineers
After issuing notices, the illegal hoardings in question were promptly removed, and the entire operation was successfully concluded by October 8, 2023.
Following the directive of the High Court, the hearing was adjourned, and the BBMP was instructed to conduct a comprehensive survey on the advertising hoardings within the area. The BBMP was further tasked with providing detailed information regarding the number of hoardings that have obtained official permission from the authorities in the past three years. Additionally, the court demanded a report on the actions taken against those responsible for erecting unauthorized hoardings, as well as the fines collected as a result.
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