Erode Corporation to rent out vacant space on land at Solar

Erode Corporation rents out vacant land in Solar for events, generating revenue and providing recreational opportunities.

The Erode Corporation has proposed to rent out an 8.82-acre vacant space on land in the Solar area for exhibitions, circus, and political meetings. This move aims to utilise unused municipal land to generate revenue and provide a venue for recreational activities.

The civic body owns 51.75 acres of land along Karur Road in Solar. A town bus stand was established on 3.73 acres of this land in 2022. Currently, work is under way to establish a satellite bus stand on 12.35 acres, along with an integrated vegetable and grocery market on 12.49 acres.

Additionally, the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority has requested seven acres for the construction of a stadium. A separate proposal has also been received for the allotment of five acres for an IT Park. Both proposals are under the civic body’s consideration. The Corporation has also proposed laying an approach road for these projects, which will require 1.70 acres. As a result, a total of 8.82 acres remains vacant.

To generate revenue, the Corporation has decided to rent out the vacant land on a daily basis for recreational activities and for meetings. The daily rental charges for various events are private exhibitions and commercial activities ₹25,000, concerts ₹1 lakh, small commercial events ₹40,000, political party meetings and conferences ₹50,000, government functions and events conducted by Cooperatives, Co-optex, Poompuhar ₹10,000, religious programmes ₹50,000, circus ₹5,000, government exhibition ₹10,000, book festival ₹5,000, Women’s Day celebration ₹5,000, two-wheeler competitions and motorcycle mela ₹25,000, four-wheeler competitions ₹58,000, NGO events ₹5,000, public welfare, non-commercial events ₹5,000, and food festival ₹10,000.

In addition to the rental fee, a parking charge of ₹2,500 and a garbage removal charge of ₹1,000 will be collected daily from the organisers, along with 18% GST.

The civic body has also set specific conditions for conducting events on the premises. A deposit of ₹1 lakh must be paid to participate in the auction process. This deposit is non-refundable in case the event is cancelled for any reason. However, the amount will be refunded within 24 hours after the event concludes, provided no damage has been caused to the ground. If any damage occurs, repair charges will be deducted from the deposit.

A senior Corporation official told The Hindu that after the VOC Park Ground was repurposed for the vegetable market, the city has lacked open space for recreational events. Hence, utilising the Solar land will not only generate revenue for the Corporation but also provide residents with much-needed opportunities for entertainment and recreation.