BENGALURU: The BBMP's decision to pass a resolution to make the city free from all kinds of hoardings for one year to ensure the city is seen as aesthetic and easy on the eye has set off a storm. Although the BBMP had drafted an advertisement by-law in 2006, the officials have failed to implement it, earning the civic body the ire of the high court.
A senior BBMP official on condition of anonymity said that the draft by-law is in itself an excellent law that classifies the city into four zones 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D'. It also fetches the BBMP a more than healthy revenue. However, due to the intervention by politicians, advertisements are being displayed in no advertisement zones too. ‘A’ zone which is around Vidhana Soudha, High Court and Raj Bhavan are no-advertisement zones but this has never been adhered to, while the other three zones prescribe a particular size of hoarding, which is also flouted. The BBMP stands to lose potential revenue of upto Rs 9 crores or more, if they go ahead with the ban on hoardings across the city.
However sources in the BBMP are also indicating that proposing no advertisement across the city could be a ploy and that advocates representing the BBMP may highlight the loss of revenue for the BBMP as a ruse to bring back advertisements in some form or the other.
What draft proposed:
A zone: No hoardings will be allowed. Areas surrounding Vidhana Soudha and Raj Bhavan are A zone
B zone: Hoardings with 12X24 feet or 15X30 feet from the ground level could be erected
C zone: Hoardings with size 20X40 feet from the ground level could be erected.
D zone: No restriction on height, mostly in newly added areas.
Ads should be at least 30 mtrs from the circle.
