High court allows government to show its ads on bus shelters

The High Court of Karnataka allowed the state government to display government advertisements on bus shelters and other locations across the state in the backdrop of Independence Day celebrations.

Justice Vineet Kothari also directed the government to file details about what schemes and messages are being displayed and the expenditure incurred by the government for such displays in the past four years.

The state government filed an application stating that the state government formulates many socially beneficial welfare schemes for the poor and these schemes have to be well publicised.

Further, the government submitted that every year during Independence Day celebrations, schemes and important messages by the chief minister are advertised through hoardings on bus shelters.

The court had previously directed the Information Department not to issue work orders related to government advertisements without informing the court. The directions were given after the state government had assigned the work of displaying government advertisements without floating any tender.

Sanjay Marketing had challenged the act of the Information Department which had awarded the contract to one company, Marketing Communication and Advertising Ltd. The petitioner had contended that the government had awarded the work without following rules of the Transparency Act.

The court had directed allowing the government to go ahead with the contract for this quarter. However, the bench directed the government to inform the court before issuing orders for the next three quarters. The judge adjourned the next hearing to August 23.