MCC opts for e-tender process

Corporation hopes to increase revenue from hoardings in the city

The State government has directed the Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) to do away with paper tender for hoardings and follow e-tender process. With the new tender procedure, the MCC is expecting increase its ad revenue from the hoardings and banners. 

In 2010-11, the MCC could earn Rs 81 lakh from advertisements, which is a negligible amount if compared to the annual income of the MCC, which is more than Rs 60 crore. But after adopting the 16 guidelines policy related to horadings and banners in 2012, the income of the corporation increased to Rs 1.8 crore, which is three per cent of the total income of MCC.

“By introducing e-tender facility, people need not depend on newspapers. Interested can contact the advertisement section through internet. Dates, registration facility will be available online. It will definitely increase advertisement income,” said MCC Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar to Deccan Herald.

The Commissioner said “The huge ugly hoardings pitched indiscriminately across the length and breadth of Mangalore are a great nuisance. They have been causing inconvenience to the general public.

Many argue that hoardings make the city dirty. As a result, we can not give permission for installing the hoardings all over the city. We are trying our level best to pull down illegal hoardings,” he said.

Penalty

Assistant Revenue Officer Praveenchandra Karkera said that the MCC will be inviting tender for 14 important junctions in the City and most of them belong to intensive zone.
“There is no proposal to increase the rates.

After cancelling paper- tender process dates are not finalised for e-tendering. Fifteen days will be given for the bidders and it can be extended to 30 days. By November, the process will be completed,” he said.

“We have been pulling down illegal hoardings that have come up in the city limits for the last three months. The Mangalore City Corporation has collected Rs 49,000 as penalty from one advertising group for putting up illegal hoardings and notice has been issued to another,” Karkera said.