’City’s No. 1 enemy’: Karnataka High Court slams Bengaluru civic body

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Oct 12, 2023: The Karnataka High Court reprimanded the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Wednesday for its failure to address the issue of unauthorised flexes and hoardings, calling the civic body the city’s "number 1 enemy".

 

A two-judge bench ordered a comprehensive survey of all flexes and hoardings in Bengaluru. The survey’s objective is to determine the number of hoardings that have been installed without authorisation, the court said.

Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit of the High Court said that the survey results must be submitted within 28 days.

Highlighting the issues due to the increase in illegal billboards, the court said that the burden of lost taxes from advertisements is ultimately passed on to the people due to BBMP’s shortcomings.

The failure to collect taxes from billboards is evident, while BBMP appears to be struggling to allocate funds for essential citizen services, the court observed.

This has led to a critical financial deficit in BBMP, impacting Bangalore’s overall development. The city’s aesthetics are also marred by the prevalence of illegal advertisements, noted the Karnataka High Court.

Courtesy: India Today