At a review meeting chaired by Prime Minister Basavaraj Bommai, several city ministers expressed concern about the return of treasures and the compromise of the city`s aesthetics. They also pointed out that the new statutes would favour the advertising mafia. Earlier this year, the previous government, led by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, authorized the articles and issued a notice on July 26. By the way, it was only a few days before Mr. Yeddiyurappa resigned as chief minister. This decision came as a surprise to many, even within the BJP, as the party had supported the ban on hoarding in its election manifesto. The court still hears a PIL motion on billboards. The billboards that had been missing in Bengaluru for three years after a ban imposed by the BBMP are now ready for a return and threaten to turn the cityscape into a horror again. Strategically placed creative billboards can contribute to the aesthetics of the city while promoting brands and helping BBMP generate additional revenue.
However, the current rules communicated by the Department of Urban Development appear to be a complete sale to the hoarding mafia, which has spared no effort to lift the ban. With the exception of a dozen streets, palisades, which can now be larger than those previously allowed, can also be installed anywhere in the city, even on narrow arteries. The new directive also allows all types of advertising, including fabric banners and bunting. When the draft rule was first published by the state government in 2019, the bbmp Council had passed a resolution against it, with BJP members claiming that a hand hidden behind the scenes was working to bring back treasures. Ironically, the new rules were approved by the BJP government at the last cabinet meeting chaired by outgoing Prime Minister BS Yediyurappa. The state government has removed notification of new advertising rules that have paved the way for a return of commercial signs to the city. A corresponding order was issued on 14 September. Sources familiar with the development said city ministers present at the meeting expressed concern that the treasures were ruining the aesthetics of Bangalore. The new statutes, they pointed out, seemed to favor the advertising mafia, while citizenship revenues were also questionable. Sources added that a proposal to remove the notice allowing billboards is being prepared and will soon be submitted to the state government for approval. The excessive interest of the Department of Urban Development in communicating regulations on an issue that falls within the jurisdiction of the BBMP, even if the case is pending before the courts, clearly shows that some stakeholders can be at work. Instead of announcing such piecemeal measures, the government, after appropriate consultation with all stakeholders, should develop a comprehensive policy to balance the city`s aesthetics and revenues without compromising public safety.
Until then, the new rules should be suspended. However, several within the BJP opposed it. In fact, the party had supported the ban on all reservations in its election manifesto. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court still hears a PIL on billboards. The BAN on the BBMP came after a crackdown by the Karnataka Supreme Court, which ordered the removal of all illegal treasures, buntings and banners after a PIL of Saidatta, a community-minded citizen who tried to expose the link between bureaucrats and officials in a 2,000 rupee scam. Although only one court judge subsequently allowed the legal billboards, in reality, the ban remained in effect, as BBMP found that most of the billboards within the city limits were illegal. The new rules also failed to take into account the traffic hazards that can be caused by arbitrarily installed reserves. An analysis by a UK-based researcher of various studies conducted in different parts of the world concludes that too much visual congestion at or near intersections and intersections can distract drivers and lead to accidents. Horte has been at the center of major debates in the city, with activists and citizens` groups claiming the government was trying to bring them back. In 2018, the BBMP Council passed a resolution banning billboards for a year, but it was only after that that Karnataka`s Supreme Court sharply criticized citizens. Nearly a year later, the Department of Urban Development released the bbmp draft advertising rules, 2019, to bring back the treasures. As a result, citizens passed a resolution against the draft rule.
However, the Council`s term of office ended on 10 September 2020. The state government has made it clear that commercial signs in Bengaluru will not make their return and has decided to revoke the new advertising laws that are expected to pave the way for their return. This comes less than a month after the Department of Urban Development issued a notice of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Advertising Rules of 2019, which allow billboards under the articles of the new BBMP Law of 2020. Notice of the new advertising rules was released on July 26 to replace the BBMP`s 2018 Outdoor Signage and Public Messaging Bylaws, which said there was a blanket ban on commercial hoarding throughout the city. This is not the first attempt to bring back commercial treasures. Since 2018, billboards have been banned in the city.