With rising flex, banner menace, BBMP plans to post workers on night duty to clear them

BENGALURU: Despite a High Court order banning flexes and banners at public places, they have have springing up on trees, electric poles, at bus stops and on compound walls. While some unidentified people are sticking the posters of political parties at night, citizens allege that the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is dragging its feet on lodging complaints against the offenders.

In the run-up to the Assembly election, illegal banners, posters and flexes can be seen even on main roads across the city. Unable to track the offenders, the BBMP has now formed a separate team which will work at night to remove all the illegal advertisment boards, posters, banners and flexes.

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Palike Special Commissioner Ravindra said, “With the Assembly election due in a few weeks, political parties have intensified election campaigning. There is no permission to put up flexes, posters and hoardings, but they can be seen everywhere. The Palike has instructed the Revenue Inspectors to clear all unauthorised and illegal flexes and banners in the city. We have removed over 8,000 banners recently and the work is continuously going on at the ward level. Yet, people will keep pasting posters and putting up banners during late nights”.

“We have appointed some nodal officers also to keep eye on offenders. We will intensify the work on removal of  posters, banners and flexes. Once the election dates are announced and the Code of Conduct comes into effect, we will instruct all our employees to round the clock vigorously to remove all the illegal flexes, banners and posters across the city”, Ravindra said.

“Not only politicians, even the general public put up flexes and banners to convey wishes or for other purposes. Citizens should also cooperate with us in this regard”, he added.