By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Taking a firm step in the war on illegal hoardings and flexboards, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday resolved to ban all kinds of advertisement structures within its limits for a period of one year with immediate effect. The civic agency passed a resolution banning all flexboards, banners, buntings, illegal hoardings, wall posters and bills. In addition, the BBMP will formulate a new, comprehensive policy for advertisements, for which the Commissioner will request the high court for more time.

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At a council meeting convened to discuss issues related to advertisements, Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said the existing bylaws have provisions to levy a fine of `1 lakh on offenders and file criminal cases against them leading to imprisonment up to six months. Until now, a total of 456 cases have been filed against offenders. He said not a single permission had been granted for any advertisement since January 2017. “We did not renew any permission as we had to formulate a new policy for advertisements and we could not collect tax on it post the implementation of GST. So not a single hoarding in Bengaluru is legal today,” Prasad said.

He said owners of several structures had obtained stay orders from the court on their removal even though they were in violation of the rules, and the BBMP will ask the court to revoke them during the next hearing on August 8. Before the order was passed, several councillors advocated for a blanket ban on advertising structures. They said such structures cause accidents by distracting motorists on the road.

ONUS ON OWNERS

■ BBMP asks private ad owners to remove ads in 2 weeks

■ For advertising structures on private lands, instead of the BBMP using its manpower, the responsibility of removing the structures will lie with owners. They have been given a time of two weeks to comply.