BBMP removes fibre pillars

BBMP removes fibre pillars

Staff Reporter

‘Agency was supposed to put up small flower pots’

‘Contract cancelled as the norms were violated’

Bangalore: In a swift response, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Thursday removed the row of plastic pillars with overhanging advertisement space that popped up on the pavements of Mahatma Gandhi Road and Residency Road on Wednesday.

The terracotta-coloured pillars supported some flowerpots and in some of them, the ad space had been taken over by a textile brand.

The BBMP had permitted the installation of these pillars in violation of the ban on hoardings ordered by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa. The Hindu published a report on Thursday about the pillars that were causing inconvenience to pavement users and distracting motorists.

Following the report, BBMP Commissioner S. Subramanya directed the Additional Commissioner (East) S. Puttaswamy to get the pillars removed immediately.

Mr. Puttaswamy told The Hindu that all the pillars put up in the East Division were removed. The sanction to erect them came from the BBMP head office, Mr.. Puttaswamy said and they were removed as the advertising agency had violated the agreement conditions. “The permission was given to Aalesh Collections, a private advertising agency, prior to the ban. The agency was supposed to put up 500 small flower pots on the pavements to give an aesthetic look. Instead, it put up these pillars. After seeing The Hindu’s report, the Commissioner has asked us to get all of them removed,” he said. But sources in BBMP said the agency was allowed to put up the pillars after the ban was announced on July 25.

Chakki Babu, a retired employee of the State Bank of India’s St. Marks Road branch, whose wife Hemavathy tripped over the pillar on Wednesday, called up The Hindu to fume: “It is ridiculous. On the one hand they are removing hoardings and on the other they are allowing such new advertising.”