Mysore/Mysuru: BJP leader and former Mayor Sandesh Swamy (S. Satish) has penned letters to both the Deputy Commissioner and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner, urging immediate action against the proliferation of unauthorised advertisement hoardings and flexes throughout the city.

“While Corporation officials inform RTI activists that displaying advertisements and flexes in the city is not permitted, the reality on the ground is quite the opposite. Unauthorised advertisements and flexes are rampant and it’s concerning that the Corporation authorities seem reluctant to address this issue,” he said.

Highlighting a previous decision by the MCC to prohibit advertisement hoardings and flexes in the city centre due to Mysuru’s status as a heritage city, Sandesh Swamy lamented that this decision hasn’t been effectively enforced.

Mysuru holds a distinguished reputation, attracting visitors from around the world annually. The city’s landscape features several statues of historical rulers of erstwhile Mysore State, often surrounded by unapproved flex boards. These boards are erected without permission from the MCC, evading necessary fees. Even Government advertisements aren’t exempt from these unauthorised displays, leading to financial losses for the MCC, Sandesh Swamy said.

The former Mayor also highlighted the Karnataka Open Places (Disfigurement of Public Property) Act 1981, which allows for the arrest of those defacing public spaces without a warrant. However, this legal provision isn’t being enforced against the offenders. Sandesh Swamy raised concerns about the lack of efforts to raise awareness about the issue, both through print, visual media and social media.

Drawing attention to a similar situation in Bengaluru where the High Court reprimanded the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) for inaction and prompted them to address unauthorised advertisements, Sandesh Swamy advocated for a comparable response in Mysuru.

He urged the DC and MCC Commissioner to take immediate action to rectify the unauthorised advertising situation in Mysuru, in line with the actions taken in Bengaluru.