No ad policy resolution for now

A special BBMP council meeting to discuss the new draft advertisement bye-laws will be held on August 6 after the mayor, who had promised to pass a resolution to reject the policy, adjourned the matter on Tuesday.

The issue echoed in the BBMP council, where unhappy members wanted the draft advertisement rules to be sent back to the Karnataka government, claiming it allows back-door entry of advertisement hoardings in the city. The council’s move has the backing of all parties.

The BBMP, which has banned outdoor advertisements in the city, had sent a draft of the advertisement bye-laws to the government, but the government later changed the rules and sent it back to the BBMP for approval.

Corporators from all parties opposed the new draft and demanded Mayor Gangambike to pass a resolution rejecting the draft. The mayor had agreed to pass the resolution but didn’t settle the issue as the ruling party leader Abdul Wajid did not propose the matter in the council.

Speaking about the issue, Opposition leader Padmanabha Reddy said the new draft prepared by the government would help the “advertisement and hoardings mafia to make a comeback in the city”.

“We had earlier prepared suitable draft bye-laws and sent it to the government but the government has made provisions to allow hoardings in commercial and outdoor places. Thus we want a resolution to reject the new rules. We will not allow the rules be passed at any cost,” he said.

Abdul Wajid, Ruling Party Leader, said advertisements would be allowed on skywalks, flyovers, bus shelters and toilets constructed through both public and private-public partnership (PPP) in the draft rules prepared by the BBMP.

“Thus even if the draft rules by the government is rejected, there are lacunae that will allow some advertisements which will again defeat the whole purpose of bringing in new rules. So, the final decision in the matter will be taken after suggestions and discussions on both the draft rules,” he said. Meanwhile, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad said instructions had been issued to BBMP officials to inspect illegal advertisements on LED screens and lodge FIRs against the owners.