Flower show makes profit with 7.25 lakh footfalls

The Mysore Horticulture Society, the organisers of the flower show, will be making a profit of Rs five to six lakh from this year’s mega event, according to Horticulture Department officials.

According to the Society personnel nearly Rs one crore has been collected from tickets in the last 10 days. As many as 7.25 lakh people attended the show this year.

“There was apprehension that the revenue collection from the flower show at the old entry rates might fall short of the actual expenditure. However, due to the overwhelming response from the people we might in fact make a profit,” said Director for Horticulture P Hemalatha.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, the director said that despite their best efforts the private sponsorship did not match their expectations, thus leaving them to depend more on the entry collection.

Sources point out that this year the total private sponsorship has been estimated to have been close to Rs 15 lakh. The Society has also asked for additional funds from the State Government towards the Society’s Centenary celebrations.

The Mysore Horticulture Society is the parent organisation for the flower shows and other allied activities which it conducts in the State.

With 4,500 lifetime members, the Society is the sole body involved in organising the flower shows in the City that takes place twice a year.

However, the Society is headed by the Director for Horticulture as its ex-officio chairperson with 15 elected members.

Expenditure for security

According to the Director, the Society for the current year has incurred a heavy expenditure towards the security arrangements and the expansion of the flower show beyond the restrictions of the glass house.

“Apart from the expansion of this year’s flower show, new CCTVs, police protection and home guards security has also become part of our expenditure. By the end of the flower show we will disclose the entire balance sheet for the flower show,” said the director.

Sources state that the Society has paid nearly Rs six lakh for the metal detectors and CCTVs that have been installed in the glass house and across Lalbagh, Rs eight lakh towards the Home Guards deployment and police security apart from spending another Rs 10 lakh for the prizes for the competitions organised by the Society. The Department has also spent Rs five lakh on maintenance of the flower show.

Yet another expenditure that has been added to the Society finances is the upkeep of Lalbagh.
The Society has kept seven autos and more than 120 workers to clean the piling garbage and waste in Lalbagh.