BBMP likely to challenge HC order on one-year ad ban

BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is all set to challenge the Karnataka High Court order quashing the civic body’s council resolution of August 2018 to ban advertisements for one year.

BBMP commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad told The New Indian Express, “Although the HC has quashed the resolution dated August 6, 2018, the court has not yet taken up individual grievances and entitlement of the petitioners to carry on their business. The court has stated that the assertions of the petitioners that they were entitled to continue advertising will be taken up later.”

“However, the court has not restrained the BBMP from exercising the rights of the corporation to initiate action against illegal advertisements. We, therefore, will not allow any illegal hoardings to come up. I have already given instructions to our legal cell to challenge the order  before the Hon’ble Division Bench of the Hon’ble High Court,” he said.

No new licences till new bye-laws in place

Over legal implications of the HC verdict, sources from legal cell of the BBMP, said, “The issue is that BBMP’s council had passed a resolution that there would be no advertisements for one year. This resolution would not affect existing advertisements that are licensed. The BBMP has not issued licences for advertisements for the last two years. Moreover, the court has quashed the ban for one year, but it has not asked us to issue licences for advertisements in the coming days. So the BBMP will not issue new licences. The BBMP has prepared the new advertisement bye-law, which has already been sent to the government. No licences will be issued till that bye-law is implemented.”