Only 124 illegal hoardings left, BBMP tells High Court

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Wednesday submitted to the Karnataka High Court that just 124 unauthorised billboards needed to be removed in the city.

Out of 2,315 unauthorised hoardings in BBMP limits, the civic agency said that they have removed 2,439. BBMP has said that removing iron structures on which the unauthorised hoardings are displayed will take some time.
 
The counsel for the Palike has said that they would invite tenders for the removal of these structures. Justice Vineet Kothari granted three months’ time to remove these iron structures.

The judge is hearing a batch of petitions wherein Shine Outdoor Media, an advertising agency and others, have challenged the demand notices issued by the BBMP.

The judge had passed an order on December 5, 2016 framing certain guidelines for collecting advertisement tax. Based on the guidelines, the BBMP filed its second status report on the removal of unauthorised structures. However, the judge was not happy with the report as there were many details missing. He directed BBMP to file the report and adjourned the next hearing to January 27.

Stay extended
The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday extended the stay on arresting Ibrahim Sharief, one of the accused in the currency conversion racket. It also directed the agencies not to harass him.

Sharief filed an affidavit saying that he had fully cooperated during investigation by the CBI. Certain other investigating departments were harassing him with their interrogation, he had said.

The income tax department had found Rs 4.80 crore in the new Rs 2,000 denomination notes during their raid at Sharief’s apartment in RMV II Stage, Bengaluru. Along with CBI, the I-T department, Enforcement Directorate and the state’s Anti-corruption Bureau (ACB) are investigating the currency conversion racket. Justice Anand Byrareddy adjourned the hearing.
DH News Service