Karnataka legislative council passes Bill to regulate hoardings, levy advertisement fee

Karnataka legislative council passes Bill to regulate hoardings, levy advertisement fee

Bengaluru, The Karnataka legislative council on Wednesday passed two amendment Bills related to advertisement in urban areas and the transfer of police officers.

Karnataka legislative council passes Bill to regulate hoardings, levy advertisement fee

Both the bills were adopted by the Karnataka Assembly on March 16.

The Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Laws Bill, 2026, which was moved by the state Urban Development and Town Planning Minister B S Suresha were aimed at regulating outdoor advertisements and enabling municipal bodies to levy and collect fees on hoardings and billboards across the state.

Suresha tabled the bill in the council for adoption.

The members of the ruling and opposition parties discussed the bill extensively, after which it was cleared by the House.

The Karnataka Police Bill, 2026, moved by the Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara, empowers the Police Establishment Board to immediately transfer police officers up to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police for misconduct, negligence, or dereliction of duty.

This amendment allows for action before the mandatory two-year tenure expires. The Act covers cases of "misconduct or gross negligence or dereliction of duty or an act of moral turpitude".

The Police Establishment Board is authorised to take action directly rather than waiting for lengthy government approval, aiming to reduce political interference and speed up disciplinary actions.

The move is intended to handle recurring irregularities and corruption, including scenarios where officers are trapped by the Lokayukta police and improve efficiency.

The legislation, introduced by state Home Minister G Parameshwara, ensures tighter discipline within the police force while providing a cleaner legal mechanism for moving officers.

Karnataka Planning and Statistics Minister D Sudhakar tabled the Karnataka Regional Imbalances Redressal Committee report, which was prepared by a panel headed by economist M Govinda Rao.

The report identified 93 "most backward" taluks among 236 in the state, with 60 per cent of them concentrated in North Karnataka, particularly in Kalaburagi and Belagavi divisions.

This report highlights that, despite significant expenditure, regional disparities persist, with 75 per cent of all taluks facing some form of imbalance.

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