The civic agency files statement in the High Court

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Friday filed a statement before the Karnataka High Court that it had removed 21,570 banners, including buntings, posters and cut-outs, which were put up illegally across the city.

It follows a warning from a Division Bench during an earlier hearing that the Commissioner would have to be present personally in the court if the BBMP did not submit a statement as they had been provided many opportunities in this regard earlier.

However, the statement does not disclose any action or removal of banners of political parties or films.The court had orally questioned the BBMP why action was not being initiated against them, pointing out that a large number of banners and posters belonged to these people.

The action initiated by the BBMP for putting up banners and posters were against several private educational institutions.

Penalty on institutions

As many as 8,727 flex boards, banners and sun boards, 5,003 cut-outs and arches, 440 posters, 3,482 buntings, 3,918 cloth and plastic banners had been removed and a penalty of Rs. 2.84 lakh had been imposed on various institutions for putting up banners without permission.

Cases

Besides issuing notice, criminal cases had been initiated against nine institutions, the statement added.As per the statistics provided to the court, a maximum of 9,088 illegal banners were removed from Yelahanka zone; 5,964 banners from south zone; 3,507 from east zone; 1,365 from Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone; 958 from Mahadevapura zone; 358 from Bommanahalli zone; 198 from west zone; and 132 from Dasarahalli. The petitions will come up for hearing again on August 23

• No word onboards put upby politicians
• Next hearing inthe case ison August 23