BANGALORE: People putting up hoardings and banners which do not carry details of the printer and the BBMP permission number could face imprisonment.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has warned that offenders would be booked under the Karnataka Open Place (prevention of disfigurement) Act, and may face a jail term of six months apart from a penalty. In the last six months, BBMP has removed 44,500 illegal flexes, 45 hoardings and 300 vinyl banners.
BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana and City Police Commissioner M N Reddi held a meeting on Thursday on removing illegal hoardings. Lakshminarayana has urged Reddi to issue a circular to all police stations to book cases of illegal hoardings under the Act.
A senior BBMP official said permissions for advertisements will be given by the central office and not the zonal one. A unique permission number will be given to the applicants.
BBMP will direct printers to ask customers for the permission number when they come to get material printed. The printers’ trade licences will be cancelled if they violate this rule, the official said. Hoardings, and banners put up in public places should display the name of the printing press/printers, their address and phone numbers.