KCCI urges MCC to hold, reconsider tender for citywide advertising rights

KCCI urges MCC to reconsider citywide advertising tender, emphasizing local vendor inclusion and public participation in decision-making.

Raising concerns over Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) floating a tender for the development of bus shelters, directional signage structures (gantries and cantilevers) with advertisement rights in the absence of an elected council, the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has urged the civic body to put it on hold or reconsider.

In a February 9 letter to H.V. Darshan, the administrator of MCC and Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada, P.B. Ahmed Mudassar, president, KCCI, said, “Initiating a large, long-term project that will shape public spaces, advertising rights and the city’s streetscape for years without deliberation by elected representatives raises important concerns. Decisions of this scale ideally require democratic oversight and policy direction, not merely administrative approval.”

Mr. Mudassar added, “We respectfully urge that the tender be paused and reconsidered; that elected representatives be involved once the council is constituted; that public opinion be sought; that eligibility and evaluation criteria be revisited; that monopolisation be prevented by unbundling the project; that pending allotments be honoured; and that Mangaluru’s urban and environmental character be protected.”

The KCCI said bus shelters, gantries and advertising structures directly affect commuters, pedestrians, shopkeepers, residents and road users. Moving ahead with a city-wide advertising infrastructure project without seeking public opinion weakens participatory governance and risks eroding public trust. Urban infrastructure should be shaped with citizens, not imposed upon them.

“The requirement of a minimum ₹18-crore standalone turnover from the advertisement business effectively excludes all local Mangaluru-based vendors. Local firms have successfully designed, erected and maintained civic infrastructure for decades. Public procurement should encourage MSMEs and local enterprises, not eliminate them through disproportionate eligibility criteria,” he said.

Previously, the Corporation followed a package-based model that divided advertising media into smaller lots, enabling participation by MSMEs and vendors with modest turnover. This inclusive approach has been bypassed without explanation, raising legitimate concerns, the KCCI said.