BBMP is municipal body, has to work round-the-clock: Karnataka HC

BENGALURU: The Karnataka high court on Wednesday took the BBMP to task and observed that it would be better to close down the civic body if it can't work.
A division bench headed by chief justice Dinesh Maheshwari made this strong observation in the midst of hearing on a 2007 PIL .

The court reminded that the BBMP needs to work round-the-clock as it is a municipal body.

After noticing that the civic body has failed to pass the new advertisement policy/by-laws despite being granted time, the court said that the BBMP is not above the Constitution.

The court also asked the government to take suitable action against the officer who sat over the concerned file for more than a year.

Later, the counsel for BBMP submitted the advertisement by-laws would be placed before the council meeting of the civic body on August 7.

One Vivekananda Shetty had filed this petition in 2007. Originally, he had challenged permission granted to erect advertisement hoardings on 14 roads in Bengaluru city, claiming that it was in violation of the notification dated July 21,1956 issued by commissioner, Corporation of the City of Bengaluru. However, when he was told that the said notification was no more in force, in view of Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Advertisement Bye-laws - 2006, permitting advertisement hoardings , he amended the petition and challenged the legality and validity of the Advertisement Bye-laws - 2006.