Karnataka HC directs State government not to notify final BBMP Advertisement Bylaws without prior permission from the court

A PIL petition was initiated suo motu by the court in July this year on the failure of the BBMP and the State government in implementing directions since 2017 to act against illegal hoardings

The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the State government not to notify the final Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Advertisement) Bylaws, 2024, without the prior permission from the court.

PIL petitions

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice K.V. Aravind issued the direction while hearing a batch of PIL petitions. Several PIL petitions were filed in 2017-18 complaining about BBMP’s failure to act against illegal hoardings, and a PIL petition was initiated suo motu by the court in July this year on failure of the BBMP and the State government in implementing various directions issued by the court since 2017 to act against illegal hoardings.

The government advocate said that the BBMP has sent communications to the government after considering the objections and suggestions, received for the draft bylaws, and the government required a couple of weeks to issue final bylaws.

At this stage, the Bench directed that new bylaws should not be notified without the court’s prior permission while directing the government to submit final bylaw before notifying it.

Penal provisions

During earlier hearings, the HC had suggested that new bylaws should include penal provisions, which may act as deterrents against defaulters and wrongdoers, provisions for BBMP to continuously monitor the activities of unauthorised, not to permit the putting up of flexes, hoardings, etc., in places near pedestrian paths, etc.

Published - October 22, 2024 10:38 pm IST