BENGALURU: Karnataka High Court directives and its rap on the knuckles of the Bengaluru civic body on illegal posters and banners of political leaders seem not to have had any impact. With the election to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), as per the directions of the Supreme Court, coming up soon and major festivals ahead, the eyesore will only increase.
The posters that are already dotting the city are being removed by the GBA on a war footing. But activists demand that the GBA file FIRs and impose heavy fines against perpetrators to deter them from indulging in such practice.
A civic activist, H Eshwarappa, representing B.Clip organisation, said officials from all the five city corporations under GBA are responsible for the increasing menace of illegal banners. “Banners hanging from poles are causing inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians at a few places.
Volunteers have been working across Bengaluru. We will approach the Lokayukta with evidence and put corporation commissioners and officials on the mat for their failure to prevent illegal publicity,” he said.
S Subramanya, a former professor at the University of Agriculture Science, Bengaluru, said, “In the US, hoardings are banned on highways as they divert the attention of drivers, leading to accidents. It is high time that strong action is taken against such advertisements in Bengaluru.”
Though initially a few cases against illegal flexes were filed and fines running up to Rs 50,000 were slapped, the drive petered out. After the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was split into five city corporations, the inaction of officials against such banners and posters is evident, said activists and residents.