BENGALURU: Hoardings have been a menace in the city, and despite court orders to have them taken down, some structures continue to stand. At present, 51 flex structures remain, out of which 33 are government hoardings and 18 remain on private properties. Previously, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner Manjunath Prasad had announced that those who fail to remove flexes, banners and hoardings will face up to six months in prison or a `1 lakh penalty, or both. However, no action has been taken against offenders. .
According to a BBMP official, the court has been closely monitoring their actions, and have now gotten statistics. A review had been done and instructions were given to the BBMP stating that there is no stay order on the 51 remaining hoardings, and that they must be removed. “We have requested individuals with the flex structures on their properties to take them down immediately,”says a top BBMP official. The court order applies to the entire state, and anyone objecting to it would be prosecuted under the Prevention of Disfigurement Act, 1981, says the official.
“There are 14 in Mahadevapura and four structures remaining in RR Nagar,” says the source. All flex structures will be removed within the next few days. But why did the BBMP take time to remove the structures despite the ban coming into place back in August? According to the official, the structures were too big and required at least two cranes to bring them down. “The workers were struggling. If they take them down from the bottom, they can fall and injure someone. So we have asked workers to take safety measures before bringing them down,” the official said.
The number of court cases under stay order is 199. “We are waiting for an update from the court on this. As per court orders, they will remain until further notice.” Mayor Gangambike was unavailable for comment.
