BENGALURU: Mayor Shanthakumari and BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana have apparently given up on curbing the mushrooming of flexes and hoardings in the city.
According to sources, they have told Upa Lokayukta Justice Subhash B Adi that the nexus between BBMP officials and advertisement companies as well as political pressure has made it difficult to control the menace.
The mayor and commissioner appeared before the Upa Lokayukta on Friday as directed by him on February 25. Justice Adi had also ordered the city Lokayukta superintendent of police to submit a report on the large-scale irregularities in granting permission for, and renewal of, licences to erect hoardings and banners.
Authorities get into all sorts of trouble and even get threats if they take stringent action against unauthorised hoardings, they told the Upa Lokayukta. They said, “With no support from the police department, the only remedy to curb the menace is a complete ban on hoardings and advertisements.”
Justice Adi directed the mayor and commissioner to call a meeting of department heads of BBMP next week where he will apprise them of the large-scale loss to the exchequer because of mismanagement.
Justice Adi told Express that he also advised the mayor to convene a meeting of local MLAs, MPs, in-charge minister of the city and other stakeholders to discuss the means needed to address the problems faced by the BBMP. “The city cannot be left out as it is growing now and has various problems. Each zone of BBMP needs an IAS officer for efficient management,” Justice Adi said.
