No more hoardings! ‘Flex’ your muscles, BBMP

Poster and banners, featuring smiling photographs of elected representatives wishing each other on their birthdays or congratulating themselves on doing routine civic work continue to deface the city. Despite getting many raps from the High Court about not removing illegal hoardings, the BBMP continues to sit back and do nothing about them. Y. Maheswara Reddy reports

On Sunday afternoon, a resident driving through Wind Tunnel Road was shocked to see a banner at Konena Agrahara, announcing that the road was being asphalted. “It was a shock because that road has needed attention for three years. I want to know why the elected representative was quiet for so long. And why does he feel the need to put up banners announcing the work that he should have done three years ago,” the resident asked, on condition of anonymity. “They’re doing a routine job, not building the Suez Canal.”

This is not an uncommon complaint. Activists and residents have long since grumbled against elected representatives putting up banners whenever developmental work begins in their respective Assembly constituencies. These banners often also feature photographs of the BBMP Chief Commissioner, and the BBMP Administrator along with elected representatives.

After about three years of respite, in which the city remained free of these unsightly posters, banners and hoardings, they’re back once more. Old habits die hard, for our elected representatives and community leaders. If they stand to gain, they display a great talent for eloquent speeches, describing their plans to make Bengaluru beautiful. On the other hand, they’re quick to encourage their supporters when they want to put up posters, banners and hoardings.

Social activists have been requesting Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities to prevent politicians or community leaders putting up posters, banners and hoardings that ruin the city’s aesthetics, but in vain. Instead, the city is peppered with posters, banners and hoardings, celebrating various events, all with larger than life photographs of beaming politicians. There are election campaign posters for caste-based associations. There are people conveying their best wishes to each other and birthday wishes are dime-a-dozen.

What is the protocol for putting up banners and posters? One must get permission from the BBMP Advertisement Department and pay a specified amount as a fee to the civic body. However, this rule is brazenly flouted – the people putting up the hoardings rarely feel the need to seek permission to put up banners or posters.

“There was some response from BBMP authorities when N. Manjunath Prasad was the Chief Commissioner. The present Commissioner on the other hand, isn’t bothered about ensuring that Bengaluru is free from posters and banners, despite repeated pleas from residents and activists and even strictures from the Karnataka High Court,” said Sai Datta, an activist who filed a PIL in the High Court against the menace. Many candidates contesting for State Vokkaligara Sangha have put up banners seeking votes. Election for the State Vokkaligara Sangha was held on December 12. However, no efforts were made by the BBMP either to remove those banners and posters or penalize those candidates for violating the norms.

“Many advertisement companies have put up hoardings at different traffic junctions despite the ban on hoardings, banners and posters. I have already complained to the BBMP Chief Commissioner, BBMP Administrator and Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department in this regard. I want the authorities concerned to remove all hoardings as early as possible,’’ Sai Datta said.

Blaming the BBMP authorities for being negligent in removing posters and banners, HM Venkatesh, a social activist from Judicial Layout, says the BBMP made the right noises after the flurry of posters and banners of the late Puneeth Rajkumar. Not a single one has been removed, however. “It seems the BBMP authorities get nothing if they remove banners and posters. The problem with them is that they expect income (bribe) from everything. I consider the BBMP as a dead corporation,” said Venkatesh.

Meanwhile, BBMP Joint Commissioner (South) has assured to look into the matter. “I will take measures to remove the banners and posters,” said the Joint Commissioner.