Karnataka legislative council passes Bill to regulate hoardings, levy advertisement fee
Bengaluru, Mar 18 (PTI): The Karnataka legislative council on Wednesday passed two amendment Bills related to advertisement in urban areas and the transfer of police officers.
Both the bills were adopted by the Karnataka Assembly on March 16.
The Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Laws (Amendment) 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.
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The Karnataka Police (Amendment) Bill, 2026, moved by the Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara, empowers the Police Establishment Board (PEB) to immediately transfer police officers up to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) 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 (comprised of senior officials) 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.
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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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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
