CM backtracks on hoardings

CM backtracks on hoardings
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: If you thought Bangalore would turn into a hoarding-free city, forget it. Those ugly billboards, obnoxious cutouts of politicians and garish banners of political parties will continue to stick out.
In a complete about-turn, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa has withdrawn the order that was aimed at clearing the city skyline. The chief minister has asked the BBMP to allow hoardings in the city except in zones A and B and sanction permissions for the new billboards.
Last month, Yeddyurappa had announced that hoardings and political party banners would be allowed only one day before a political event and would have to be brought down immediately after it. The areas earmarked were all the four zones except Vidhana Soudha, Vikas Soudha, Legislature Home and High Court premises.
Yeddyurappa had asked the BBMP to follow these regulations strictly alongside framing a new advertisement policy. Even the corporate hoardings were a strict no-no on 19 roads (10 roads in A zone and nine roads in B zone).
The existing hoardings were to be allowed to continue until their validity period and at bus shelters and skywalks, including 1,400 new bus shelters and 53 skywalks that would soon come up.
At a recent meeting with the mahanagara palike officials and the advertisers, the chief minister had asked the authorities to give new permissions to the hoardings.