The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the State government to decide within a month the requirement of issuing directions to all types of panchayats to adopt the Karnataka Panchayat Raj (Gram Panchayat Control over Erection of Advertisements and Hoardings) Model Bylaws, 2013.
A Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Hemant Chandangoudar, issued the direction during the hearing on PIL petitions related to illegal advertisement hoardings, banners, posters in Bengaluru city and panchayats surrounding Bengaluru.
The Bench noticed that the model bylaw, notified on February 16, 2013 under the Karnataka Panchayat Raj Act, was required to be adopted through a resolution by the respective gram panchayats, taluk panchayats, and zilla panchayats for implementation of the bylaws in their jurisdiction.
And, as the State government under Section 316 of the Karnataka Grama Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act has the power to direct panchayats to adopt bylaws, the Bench directed the government to consider issuing directions to all panchayats, which have not adopted this bylaws.
Meanwhile, the government has filed a report, stating that as per earlier directions of the court, communications had been sent to the commissioners of all city corporations and city municipal councils, and chief officers of all the town municipal councils for implementing the provisions of the Karnataka Open Spaces (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981.
Further hearing adjourned till February 26.
