Flex menace back to haunt Bengaluru

BENGALURU: With all political parties gearing up for election upcoming season, the rules of Bruhat Bengalore Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) rules on putting up advertising flexes seem to have been thrown out of the window.

Flexes, buntings and banners are coming up everywhere on electricity poles, at traffic intersections and junction, street corners and other places, but the BBMP seems to have turned a blind eye. These can sometimes pose danger to motorists.

The BBMP has banned the hoardings, banners, flexes in the city. Yet, politician leaders of all hues are putting up flexes and banners everywhere, whatever the event may be — birthday, drainage works, road repair work, asphalting roads, paying tribute, etc.

As per the BBMP’s estimate, there are over 2,000 illegal flexes and banners hanging across the city, but citizens say the number is many time more than that.

BBMP Special Commissioner Deepak said they will look into the matter after election verification duty.

Palike Special Commissioner Deepak said, “We have instructed our engineers and assistant engineers to remove flexes, banners. Revenue teams should impose fines where the rules have been violated. We are giving more priority to election voter roll verification since the last 20 days due to which revenue officials are engaged and not able to focus much on these issues. After this, we will act against illegal flexes and banners”.

“In a democracy, political leaders will want to convey their services to the people and try to promote themselves. But putting up banners and hoardings in the city is illegal”, he added.