Bengaluru Corporation body orders strict crackdown on illegal LED hoardings in city

The Commissioner of Bengaluru Central City Corporation (BCCC) has issued a directive ordering the removal of unauthorized LED advertisement hoardings across all six divisions, under its jurisdiction, giving officials a two-week deadline to complete the exercise and report back. 

As per the official note dated September 8, 2026, and addressed to the Joint Commissioners of Zones 1 and 2, Executive Engineers of all divisions, and the Assistant Revenue Officer (Advertisement); hundreds of LED hoardings have come up illegally across the Corporation’s limits. The note states that despite repeated instructions to concerned officials on hoardings operating without permits or with expired permits, the responsible engineering and revenue officers have failed to act against these unauthorized structures. 

The directive traces back to instructions from the Secretary of the Greater Bengaluru Development Department, who had earlier ordered the prompt removal of unauthorized hoardings. The Commissioner’s note notes that these directions have not been implemented in several cases, allowing illegal commercial advertising to continue unchecked while depriving the corporation of revenue it is otherwise entitled to. 

Calling the continued inaction a matter of serious concern, the Commissioner has now ordered officials to: 

• Inspect all unauthorized and permit-expired LED advertisement hoardings across the six divisions 

• Disconnect the electricity supply to these hoardings as per rules 

• Physically remove the boards 

• File FIRs against the operators of unauthorized hoardings at local police stations 

Officials have been directed to complete this exercise and submit an action-taken report to the Commissioner’s office without fail by September 22, 2026. The note underlines that the matter “shall be treated with utmost seriousness,” signalling that any further delay in compliance is unlikely to be tolerated. 

Copies of the directive have been marked to the Administrator of BCC, the Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), and the Additional Commissioner (Development/Revenue), among other concerned officials,  indicating that the crackdown will be monitored at the highest levels of the civic body. 

The move comes amid growing scrutiny of unregulated outdoor advertising in Bengaluru, with unauthorized LED hoardings often cited as both a safety hazard and a source of revenue loss to civic authorities. 

For Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) operators, the move is significant in terms of the documents and approvals that it mandates for continued operations. To read the official document click here.