Submit Report On Illegal Hoardings By March 6: K'taka HC To Civic Bodies And Govt

The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday directed the civic bodies Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the State Government to submit a comprehensive report before March 6 on the action taken on illegal hoardings and banners across the Bengaluru city.
        
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Ashok S Kinagi were hearing a public interest litigation filed by Mayige Gowda, a resident of Bengaluru. His advocate pointed to the putting up of several illegal hoardings across the city and submitted photographs of some of them before the court. 
        
After studying the photographs, the court observed that "bare perusal of photographs shows that some of the hoardings are obstructing traffic movement." The PIL was filed in 2018 alleging that the BBMP and State government had failed to implement the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act.
        
"Even after more than three years of issuance of circular, the illegal erection of hoardings is rampant and on the rise," the HC said before ordering for the report to be submitted. 
        
The court on Thursday directed that the report should cover the issues of periodical checks on the erection of illegal hoardings, action taken against illegal hoardings, and action taken against officers who have been found to have committed dereliction of duty in preventing illegal hoardings.
        
On Thursday, senior advocate Vikram Huilgol, who is the amicus curiae in the case submitted to the court that the civic agencies have failed to follow the directions of the high court issued earlier. The HC adjourned the case to March 7.