Assembly passes Bill to regulate all display hoardings, boost ULB revenue
Bengaluru/Mysuru: In a major move to shore up revenues of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), including City Corporations, the State Assembly has passed the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Law (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The Bill empowers ULBs to regulate flex boards, buntings and advertisement hoardings, and levy fees on them.
Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh, who tabled amendments to the Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 and the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, 1976, in the Assembly yesterday, said, strict action would be taken against illegal displays. “Unauthorised flex boards, buntings and hoardings will be removed and criminal cases will be booked against violators,” he said.
Covers public and private spaces
A key feature of the amendment is that it brings advertisement boards in both public and private spaces under the fee net. The revenue generated will be utilised for development works taken up by respective ULBs.
Minister Byrathi Suresh clarified that while advertisement boards on private properties cannot be entirely curtailed, they will be subject to prescribed charges. Separate fees will also be levied for LED display boards.
To plug revenue losses
Pointing to a sharp rise in hoardings in recent years, Byrathi Suresh said that while a few firms complied with norms and paid fees, many operated without paying dues, leading to significant revenue loss to ULBs, estimated at over Rs. 100 crore.
The amendment seeks to bring all advertisements under a regulatory framework and plug these leakages, he added.
The rates, taxes and guidelines for the installation of advertisement boards, based on location, size and duration, will be finalised after the Bill comes into force. Authorities will also ensure that enforcement action does not disrupt daily public activity.
AI, drones for monitoring
The Minister said that Artificial Intelligence (AI), drones and other technologies will be used to identify and remove illegal hoardings.
Plastic flex banned
Citing National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, he said, flex boards, banners and hoardings made of plastic are prohibited. Action will be taken not only against those who install such boards but also against printers producing them, he warned.
Mysuru now ‘flex-full city’
Once, Chennai was riddled with flex boards while Mysuru remained largely free from the menace. Today, the situation has reversed. Chennai has got rid of flex boards, while Mysuru continues to grapple with them, turning into a ‘flex-full city.’
No illegal boards should be spared, including signboards nailed to trees. While the MCC has launched a drive, we will have to see how effective it is. If flex boards continue to remain after the Ugadi festival, we will remove them ourselves and dump them outside the MCC Commissioner’s office. As per the Karnataka Municipal Corporations (KMC) Act, no permission should be given for flex boards. Instead, organisations should consider advertising in newspapers, which reach a wider audience without being a burden on their pockets. — Prathap Simha, former Mysuru-Kodagu MP
Clearance drive on...
Illegal banners and signboards are being cleared across the city with the deployment of three new Abhaya teams. Zone-level Development Officers are leading the drive and strict action will be taken against violators. No one will be spared. — Shaikh Tanveer Asif, Commissioner, Mysuru City Corporation
