Patiala MC ad revenue doubled during elections

Tribune News Service

Ravneet Singh

Patiala, February 25

In the month-long run-up to voting day, the Municipal Corporation Patiala has earned more than double the revenue from advertisements in comparison to normal days. The municipal corporations and contractors in Ludhiana and Jalandhar also registered profits.

While illegal affixation of hoardings and banners throughout the year leads to major losses to the exchequer, the ECI during the polls ensured strict implementation of laws against unregulated display of advertisements and defacement of public properties. Politicians thereby, over the fear of stringent action against illegal affixation, were seen scurrying to book government approved sites. The MC offices also had to purposefully ensure parity among political parties while allocating the sites as the latter complained for want of more kiosks and poles.

The MC Patiala, which otherwise fetches Rs 12 to 15 lakh per month (including about two lakh from its own sites), amassed a total of Rs 34 lakh. Officials said most of the MC regulated sites (kiosks and poles) go empty. “But at the time of elections, politicians jostled to secure as many sites as possible, resulting in a collection of nearly Rs 21 lakh from our own sites, while the remaining came from contractors. Contractors also had allocated almost all their sites to politicians”, a senior official of the MC Patiala said.

Harvinder Dhalla, superintendent, headquarters, MC Ludhiana said, “We are still compiling the data. But we found that most sites allocated through contractors in the MC Ludhiana area were given to politicians. Even most of MC regulated sites, which had earlier been surrendered by contractors during Covid-19 spread period, were also allocated to politicians after grant of permissions from returning officers.”

Nishant Mittal, contractor for advertisement sites in Jalandhar, said, “Political parties had started contacting us for advertisement sites way back in November. We ensured equal distribution of sites to all political parties.”

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