Bengaluru to have new by-law to check illegal hoarding menace: BBMP tells Karnataka High Court

Civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday informed the Karnataka High Court that the State government had approved a new by-law to curb the menace of illegal hoardings and flexes across the city..The new by-law, called the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Advertisement) By-Laws 2024, will also include provisions to impose penal action against offenders, the municipal body said.Objections from the public have currently been invited, after which the State will issue a gazette notification ensuring that the by-law comes into force, BBMP told a Bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and KV Aravind..The Bench was hearing a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) on the menace of illegal hoardings in Bengaluru.On July 12 this year, the Bench had taken note of a news report that claimed that the city's municipal authorities recently had to remove over six lakh unauthorised advertisements and hoardings from across the city.The Court had at the time warned the Municipal Commissioner and the Bengaluru Police Commissioner that it would initiate contempt proceedings against them if its orders on removing such hoardings were not complied with..On Monday, the Court called for better cooperation between the civic authorities and the city police when it came to implementing its orders on removal of illegal hoardings.“It is expected that by-laws will inter-alia include penal stipulation which may work as deterrent and operate penal action against the defaulters and wrong doers. Provisions are incorporated to bring the authorities of corporation under duty to ensure continuous monitoring of the activity of putting up illegal flexes and extra prevention against the mishaps which may occur during the seasons like monsoon because of flexes even if they are unauthorisedly put up,” the High Court said..The Court also said that it will consider expanding the scope of the present PIL to the entire State in subsequent hearings.The matter will be heard next on September 26.