<p>Prathima Nandakumar: The Legislative Assembly on Monday passed the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/karnataka-india">Karnataka</a> Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The bill proposes to enable urban local bodies (ULBs) regulate the display of advertisements and also charge a fee.</p>.<p>Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh said the amendment to the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 and the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976 seek to fix advertisement fees and generate revenue for cash-strapped ULBs. He admitted many advertisers had not paid fees for years, leading to revenue loss.</p>.<p>Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar questioned the government’s stand on political banners.</p>.<p>“The commissioner turns a blind eye to illegal flexes on politicians’ birthdays. The banner and flex menace is causing accidents by blocking traffic signals and people have been injured due to hoardings crashing down,” he said.</p>.Karnataka High Court issues notice to state, GBA over self-LED advertisements in city.<p>Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya demanded review of guidelines within the GBA limits stating that private advertisements were being displayed on shops, school buildings and even over stormwater drains. “How can Bescom give permission when such displays require 40 to 50 kilowatts of power?” he sought to know.</p>.<p>Tumakuru City MLA Jyothi Ganesh demanded a total ban on political banners and advertisements, citing difficulties in enforcing penalties.</p>.<p>“Political banners and cut-outs are often put up without paying any tax to local bodies. They are not removed for months. How much tax has the local body collected so far? The ruling party banners are never pulled down,” rued Terdal MLA Siddu Savadi, who urged the government to exempt tax on private buildings and during village fairs and festivals.<br> <br>Drawing attention to the dangers of unauthorised hoardings, Yelahanka MLA S R Vishwanath said, “Hoardings blown away during heavy winds and rain have caused injuries and even deaths. The government must mercilessly remove unauthorised advertisements and penalise violators.” He also called for similar rules in gram panchayats and on national highways.</p>.<p>Mangaluru City South MLA Vedavyas Kamath objected to monopoly in hoarding tenders. “Even police checkposts have not been spared of advertisements,” he said.</p>.<p>The minister assured the House of framing clear rules to address all the concerns, especially to prevent advertisements in places that inconvenience the public. He added that advertisement rights would be tendered transparently and drone surveys and artificial intelligence would be used to map hoardings for facilitating proper fee collection by urban local bodies.</p>.<p>Earlier, the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2026 tabled by Home minister G Parameshwara was passed. The amendment transfers powers to the Police Establishment Board to enable quicker transfers of officers in cases of misconduct, gross negligence, dereliction of duty or moral turpitude.</p>
<p>Prathima Nandakumar: The Legislative Assembly on Monday passed the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/karnataka-india">Karnataka</a> Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The bill proposes to enable urban local bodies (ULBs) regulate the display of advertisements and also charge a fee.</p>.<p>Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh said the amendment to the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 and the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976 seek to fix advertisement fees and generate revenue for cash-strapped ULBs. He admitted many advertisers had not paid fees for years, leading to revenue loss.</p>.<p>Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar questioned the government’s stand on political banners.</p>.<p>“The commissioner turns a blind eye to illegal flexes on politicians’ birthdays. The banner and flex menace is causing accidents by blocking traffic signals and people have been injured due to hoardings crashing down,” he said.</p>.Karnataka High Court issues notice to state, GBA over self-LED advertisements in city.<p>Basavanagudi MLA Ravi Subramanya demanded review of guidelines within the GBA limits stating that private advertisements were being displayed on shops, school buildings and even over stormwater drains. “How can Bescom give permission when such displays require 40 to 50 kilowatts of power?” he sought to know.</p>.<p>Tumakuru City MLA Jyothi Ganesh demanded a total ban on political banners and advertisements, citing difficulties in enforcing penalties.</p>.<p>“Political banners and cut-outs are often put up without paying any tax to local bodies. They are not removed for months. How much tax has the local body collected so far? The ruling party banners are never pulled down,” rued Terdal MLA Siddu Savadi, who urged the government to exempt tax on private buildings and during village fairs and festivals.<br> <br>Drawing attention to the dangers of unauthorised hoardings, Yelahanka MLA S R Vishwanath said, “Hoardings blown away during heavy winds and rain have caused injuries and even deaths. The government must mercilessly remove unauthorised advertisements and penalise violators.” He also called for similar rules in gram panchayats and on national highways.</p>.<p>Mangaluru City South MLA Vedavyas Kamath objected to monopoly in hoarding tenders. “Even police checkposts have not been spared of advertisements,” he said.</p>.<p>The minister assured the House of framing clear rules to address all the concerns, especially to prevent advertisements in places that inconvenience the public. He added that advertisement rights would be tendered transparently and drone surveys and artificial intelligence would be used to map hoardings for facilitating proper fee collection by urban local bodies.</p>.<p>Earlier, the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2026 tabled by Home minister G Parameshwara was passed. The amendment transfers powers to the Police Establishment Board to enable quicker transfers of officers in cases of misconduct, gross negligence, dereliction of duty or moral turpitude.</p>
