Bengaluru, (DHNS): The BBMP has identified 4,178 hoardings in the city and received 1,817 applications with required documents as a response to its public notice to submission of documents by hoarding and flex owners.

The counsel for the civic body made the submissions on Friday at the high court, where a bench headed by Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari was hearing a PIL asking the court's orders to remove flex banners and hoardings.

The counsel also said the BBMP had adjudicated 1,631 out of the 1,817 applications. The remaining applications were received after the August 20 deadline and would be adjudicated now.

The counsel also said the civic body did not receive any response from owners of 2,000 illegal hoardings. The court asked the BBMP to issue individual notices to the owners to remove the hoardings and also issue another public notice by September 4.

When the court wanted to know about developments in the criminal cases on the installation of illegal flex banners and hoardings, the Advocate General said 228 out of the 234 accused had pleaded guilty to the charge sheets filed for offences under the Karnataka Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act, 1981.

Directing the Advocate General to submit the details of all the accused persons, includingtheir names and contact details, the court expressed satisfaction at the way the removal of flex banners and hoardings is progressing.

It also observed that if the spirit of cooperation between the BBMP, the state government, thepolice and other participants continued, Bengaluru would become a flex-free city.

The court also asked the BBMP to file an affidavit on the action taken and asked the state government to file an affidavit on the actions it intends to take in the issue.

The court adjourned the case until September 11.