BENGALURU: Noting that what is done by BBMP so far hardly meets the letter and spirit of directives given by the court to curb unauthorised flexes and hoardings in Bengaluru, the Karnataka High Court made scathing remarks that the BBMP Commissioner had disregarded court directions by not filing a proper affidavit.
The high court, on the last date of the hearing, directed the commissioner to file an affidavit explaining past conduct, which is prima facie a show of defiance and non-compliance with court directions, and that unauthorised hoardings continue to come up.
This activity has not slowed down, much less curbed. Issuing show cause as to why the officer should not face contempt proceedings, the court directed him to file an affidavit on steps to create machinery to check and monitor the erection of illegal advertisement hoardings and flexes.
However, the affidavit was affirmed by the Assistant Commissioner (Advertisement), BBMP, and produced in court. Taking serious exception, the division bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice KV Aravind stated that the affidavit is liable to be rejected. However, it said it had accepted the affidavit only for taking factual contents mentioned, that 8,362 hoardings were removed and 181 complaints were received in a certain period about illegal advertisements.
The court observed that since the affidavit reflects that 8,362 hoardings were removed, it implies that despite restraint directions issued by court in earlier public interest petitions, the court will consider in future hearings whether contempt was committed by the BBMP commissioner, which failed to prevent illegal hoardings coming up.
It also sought to know whether costs could not be imposed, as directed in its order dated August 2, 2023, while giving the commissioner another opportunity to file a better affidavit.
The court observed that better coordination is expected between the police and BBMP in preventing and monitoring illegal flexes. The authorities should ensure that hoardings are not put up illegally and in a manner dangerous to traffic, especially in the monsoon, when flexes put up on poles pose danger to passersby and pedestrians.
