BENGALURU: Warning that it has to summon the officials responsible for causing delays in finalising the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s Outdoor Signage and Public Messaging Bye-Laws-2018, the Karnataka High Court on Friday pulled up the state government for seeking further time to finalise the bye-laws.
The court was hearing a batch of PILs filed against unauthorised flexes/ hoardings/banners in the city.
Expressing displeasure over seeking further time, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice S Sujatha said this showed that the state government was not serious about the advertisement policy. Despite the court making it clear on the last occasion to expedite the process of finalising the policy, seeking more time again is not good, it added.
In reply, Advocate General Uday Holla submitted that the proposal has been placed before the Department of Parliamentary Affairs as the issue of levying GST with advertisement tax needs to be clarified from the department and so for that a week’s time is required.
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The court said that the state government should have filed an affidavit to that effect two-three days in advance, instead of seeking time when the matter is taken up for hearing. “Now you are seeking a week’s time and again you will request more time citing Parliamentary polls as the reason only to delay the advertisement policy for about 2-3 months,” the court said while adjourning the hearing to next week. The court also observed that the government can get clarity on GST anytime from the department concerned and a week’s time is not required for this.
BBMP counsel said permission was required to erect hoardings in public places to educate voters ahead of the LS polls. The court will hear this matter next week.