The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday permitted the State government and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to put up around 2,000 hoardings and banners at important junctions and public properties to create awareness on safety measures to be followed to prevent spread of COVID-19.
However, the court imposed conditions that hoardings or banners should not contain any other material or advertisement of any product other than information to create awareness to prevent spread of COVID-19, and plastic or other prohibited materials should not be used for displaying publicity contents.
A special division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Alok Aradhe passed the order on an application filed by the State government seeking court’s permission to put up hoardings and banners for create awareness of COVID-19 safety measures.
The bench also directed the government and the BBMP to remove all these hoardings and banners immediately after controlling the spread of COVID-19.
The government filed an application in the PIL petitions, though which the court has been monitoring BBMP’s actions of removing all illegal banners, hoardings and structures put up to display advertisements across the city.
As the government said that hoardings and banners would be put up using funds out of the ₹49.5 crore earmarked in BBMP’s budget for 2020-21, some apprehension was expressed on behalf of the petitioners that funds earmarked for publicity could be used for treating COVID-19 positive patients, as publicity on measures to prevent COVID-19 was needed four three months ago when the virus started spreading.
While observing that the government’s decision to use BBMP’s fund does not mean that they would be using the entire ₹49.5 crore for putting up hoardings and banners, the bench hoped that only a reasonable amount from the BBMP’s exchequer would used for this purpose.
Also, the court said that permission is being granted by taking judicial note of the fact that during past fortnight, the number of COVID-19 positive cases was multiplying and that the government wants to resort to mass public campaign for educating people on preventing the spread of COVID-19.
In its application, the government said that publicity materials would be put up at 37 properties of the government, 57 properties belonging to the BBMP, 55 skywalks and public toilets constructed in public-private partnership (PPPs), three displays each at 500 bus shelters built under PPP, 52 properties of BDA, 11 toll way properties under PPP, and at 128 prominent junctions.
