Ads: 191 toilet units up for grabs in Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, August 17

A year after an advertising agency surrendered the project of using designated advertisement spaces at 55 public toilet blocks, the local Municipal Corporation is going to offer 191 of these, eying a revenue of about Rs 40 crore in five years.

According to the corporation, it is amending the old terms and conditions of the tender with the aim of earning more revenue. The tender will be floated next month. Further, the MC hopes for allocation of the five-year project by October.

Decode Adverting Private Limited had been awarded the project for five years, under which the MC was to be paid Rs 28 crore. However, the agency surrendered the project last year, pointing out a number of hindrances such as overgrown shrubs around the blocks and failure of the MC to remove tree branches or unipoles that block the view to ad spots despite repeated requests.

As per the tender, a company, if not satisfied with the project, may surrender it after a year, with a three-month notice period. The civic body had maintained that the project was on an ‘as is where is’ basis and the MC did its best to do the needful. The matter is under litigation.

Meanwhile, MC Commissioner Anindita Mitra confirmed they were going to float a tender for using ad spaces at 191 public toilet blocks next month.

Ad spaces in markets

MC will write to the UT Chief Architect for allowing advertisement spaces in market areas. He will be urged to identify and suggest appropriate sites where the MC may offer ad spaces to agencies to ramp up its earnings.