KEA hikes minimum tender amount by 50 pc for expo

Authority fixes target for `2.81 crore

The Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) has increased the minimum tender amount for the Dasara exhibition by almost Rs one crore compared with last year.

The minimum tender amount for 2011 was Rs 1,98,50,000, while it has been fixed at Rs 2,81,69,000 this year — almost 50 per cent more.

Addressing a press conference here at his office at Doddakere Maidan, KEA chairman B P Manjunath said the tender process would be conducted through an e-procurement portal to ensure transparency. He said the tenders would be finalised by September 24 and it would be conducted by a private agency, authorised by the government to manage e-tenders.

Listing out the new developments in holding the annual Dasara exhibition for 89 days, Manjunath said a separate food court would be set up on two acres of land, laying special stress on cleanliness and hygiene. Pointing out that one Tirumala Rao used to bring a stay order from the court at the last moment on the Dasara exhibition on the grounds that cleanliness and hygiene was not being maintained, Manjunath said this year this problem would not arise.

Other additions would be: an exhibition on the achievements of Sri Male Mahadeshwara Swamy at Kannada Karanji; programmes for children to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda; a stall dedicated for highlighting the achievements of the Wadiyar kings; display of special things from the Mysore region that have acquired GI (geographical indication) tag, such as Mysore Pak, Nanjangud Rasabale, Mysore art, etc; exhibition on the growth, development and achievements of the Kannada Sahitya Parishat and persons who have worked towards it; separate street for games; and stalls depicting the culture and food of other states in the country.

Making a mention of the issue highlighted in a section of the media that the Doddakere Maidan, on which the exhibition is being conducted over the years, belonged to the scion of the royal family Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, he said neither he had any information about it nor the government had communicated anything on the issue.

“However, we are in touch with Wadiyar and he has assured that he would cooperate in conducting the Dasara exhibition smoothly. The land — 80 acres — has been leased for 30 years from the state government and only 14 more years are left for completion of the term. So, plans to build permanent structures like on Pragathi Maidan in New Delhi has been put on the back burner. Even the Skywheel has not been stalled for the same reason,” he said.

CEO of KEA Sangeetha Gajanana Bhat and executive engineer Chunchegowda were present at the press meet.