Illegal ads in Bengaluru? Criminal cases will be filed, warns GBA Chief Commissioner

At a public grievance meeting in Malleswaram, Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao directs officials to take strict action against illegal advertisements and speed up key road infrastructure works across West Municipal Corporation limits.

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has announced strict action against illegal advertisements across the city. Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao has directed officials to file criminal cases against individuals and agencies responsible for putting up unauthorized advertisements within the limits of the West Municipal Corporation.

The instructions were issued during a public grievance meeting held at the Malleswaram IPP Centre on Thursday, where Rao met residents and listened to their concerns regarding civic issues in the West zone. The meeting was organised to address citizen complaints and find solutions to local infrastructure and governance problems.

During the interaction, Rao made it clear that illegal advertisements will no longer be tolerated. He instructed officials to immediately remove all unauthorized advertisements installed across the area. He also warned that any person who continues to install advertisements illegally from now on will face criminal action.

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In addition to targeting those who physically put up the advertisements, the Chief Commissioner directed officials to also file criminal cases against printing agencies or individuals who print such illegal advertisements.

To ensure proper enforcement of the rule, Rao instructed the administration to assign a dedicated officer from the legal cell. This officer will be responsible for registering criminal cases against individuals or organizations involved in putting up illegal advertisements.

Apart from advertisement violations, Rao also reviewed the progress of several civic infrastructure works within the Greater Bengaluru Authority limits. He directed executive engineers to accelerate key development works, including asphalting of roads, construction and improvement of footpaths, and dredging of roadside drains.

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These works must be prioritised on major roads such as arterial roads, sub-arterial roads, and ward-level roads, which are crucial for city mobility and drainage management.

The Chief Commissioner set a deadline of the end of April for completing these works. To maintain transparency and track progress, he instructed officials to regularly submit updates along with photographs of the works currently in progress.