BENGALURU: ‘Its my heartfelt thanks to the JJR Nagar voters for re-electing me as corporator (ward 136). I also thank for hundreds of hard working volunteers, supporters, staff, family & friends,’ states a huge flex that has been erected on Mysuru road in the city by Seema Altaf Khan, the elected candidate.
After the results of the recently-concluded Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) elections were announced, such flexes and banners have mushroomed across the city.
The banners either thank the public for electing a candidate as a corporator or convey messages from party workers congratulating the winners.
In January, the government and BBMP had decided to enforce a ban on the ever-increasing number of flexes and banners in the city.
However, considering the fact that these flexes have been erected everywhere, it is obvious that the ban is being flouted. Even Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had opposed the erection of flexes and banners.
A resolution passed in the BBMP council stipulated that criminal action can be initiated against those who flout the law. However, not one flex that has been erected after the election results has approval numbers on them, clearly indicating that guidelines have been ignored.
Ranjana G, a resident of Bannerghatta Road, said, “These flexes are an eyesore. They have come up everywhere, not leaving even the smallest of spaces. If the authorities are serious about the ban, they should not have allowed flexes to be erected. Strict action should have been taken against those responsible. When will the authorities concerned wake up?”
In August 2014, the then BBMP commissioner M Lakshminarayana had issued a nine-point guideline on erecting flexes. An ‘A’ zone was demarcated, including Vidhana Soudha, High Court, Hudson Circle, Windsor Manor junction to Shivananda Circle, Cubbon Park, Maharani’s College and the surrounding areas. It was also made mandatory that approval numbers obtained from the BBMP be present on the flexes.
When contacted, BBMP Administrator T M Vijay Bhaskar said action is being taken to remove these flexes.
“There are two aspects to this — pertaining to legal and illegal flexes. Legal flexes and hoardings are those where permission has been taken from the local body, from which there is an income to the BBMP too. However, the flexes that have come up after the elections are illegal. I have already directed my officials to form teams and ensure that these flexes are removed,” he said.
Bhaskar added that a few days ago, when a team went to a locality to remove these flexes, some party workers did not want them to be taken down.
“I have therefore directed them to remove the flexes at night. The work will continue till all of them are removed,” he said.