BDA flouts rules, allows private firm to display ad hoardings on Hebbal flyover

The BDA has given the rights to display as much as 61,780 square feet of advertising space – which is equivalent to over 50 sites – to a private agency in exchange for maintaining Hebbal flyover and the surrounding landscape.

Suspecting foul play in the agreement that only benefits the private agency, activists say the BDA is losing Rs 2 crore a month for work that can be done at just Rs 10 lakh.

What also catches the eye is the installation of at least two digital hoardings close to the main carriageway of the flyover, although such LED boards are considered to be a major cause of road accidents. No other civic agency, including the BBMP, has such an arrangement with a private agency to maintain a flyover and gardens despite the BDA having a horticulture department under its purview.

Single bid?

According to documents available with DH, the BDA had awarded the contract to display advertisement hoardings for a period of 30 years at the end of 2018. In return, the agency was expected to maintain the median, pavements as well as landscape and the open space below the flyover. Sources in the know say the BDA went ahead with the tender despite not receiving competitive bids. Even the annual ground rent charged by the BDA is very low, it’s learnt.

While the standard hoarding size allowed in the city under public private partnership (PPP) is a maximum of 40x20 sqft, the hoardings erected next to the Hebbal flyover are as big as 80x50 sqft, 60x50 sqft. “This is a serious breach of rules,” Sai Dutta, who had successfully led the fight to ban outdoor hoardings in the city, said.

He said the agreement between the BDA and the private agency should immediately be canceled as it is not helping the public. “Advertisement rights under PPP are given only when the private agency makes capital investments. In this case, neither the flyover nor the garden beneath was developed by the private agency. The Public Accounts Committee should put an end to the loot,” he said.

In December, 2020, Law Minister J C Madhuswamy had admitted on the floor of the legislative assembly that a private company was profiteering from the contract it holds to put up hoardings on the Hebbal flyover. Promising to take action, he had said the agency has been permitted to put up as many as 147 hoardings spanning 61,780 sqft.

Mathai K, retired KAS officer, said he would file a writ petition in the court as the BDA has gone against the High Court order. “When the BDA has its own horticulture division, what is the need to do garden maintenance under the PPP scheme? The Hebbal flyover comes under the NHAI’s authority. The agency is not empowered to set up advertisement hoardings on National Highway. Mathai charged. A senior BDA officer promised to review the agreement with the private firm.