The Karnataka High Court on Friday lambasted the Pachayat Development Officer (PDO) of Devanahalli taluk for allowing illegal hoardings near the Bangalore International Airport (BIA) and ordered the removal of such hoardings by Monday.
Justice Ram Mohan Reddy passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Ajay Advertisements alleging irregularities in granting tenders to put up hoardings near the airport. The petitioners stated that the Devanahalli Taluk Panchayat had not granted permission to them to put up hoardings.
However, it had given permission to Garuda Advertisements, Popular Advertisements and Guru Advertisement and Paintings illegally. The taluk officers had not issued any notification inviting tenders to put up hoardings and had granted permission to some parties violating the tender norms, they contended.
Officials pulled up
Hearing the petition, Justice Reddy said, “It is a broad daylight robbery. It is a white collar crime done by these officials as there are no bylaws and guidelines to these kinds of businesses and they are taking advantage of it. The State Government has to frame some rules and policies to control these kind of businesses.”
He directed the officials to remove all illegal hoardings and asked the petitioners and respondents to produce some more documents on the case and adjourned the case to Monday for further hearing.