Karnataka Assembly passes Bill to regulate hoardings, levy advertisement fee.

The article focuses on the Karnataka Legislative Assembly’s passage of the Karnataka Municipalities and Certain Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, which regulates outdoor advertisements and authorizes municipal bodies to levy fees on hoardings and billboards within their limits. The Bill requires advertisers to obtain written permission and pay prescribed fees, with exemptions for certain public and election-related advertisements, and empowers authorities to remove unauthorized advertisements and impose penalties, including interest on delayed payments. It also validates previous municipal collections of advertisement-related fees and aims to curb unauthorized hoardings while generating significant revenue for local bodies. The legislation distinguishes between advertisements on government land, private land, and personal property, with specific provisions for each category. [Extracted from the article]