Salem Corporation that was struggling to pay monthly salary for its staff and conservancy workers, started earning revenue by renting out the ground near the New Bus Stand.
A 4.6 acre of land situated near the New Bus Stand was in a legal wrangle as private persons were claiming its ownership. After several decades, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Salem Corporation in 2018. After that, the Corporation cleaned the land and used it to park garbage vehicles. In February 2020, a government exhibition was conducted on this ground. After that, the ground was vacant during the pandemic.
After the DMK came to power in Salem Corporation, and A. Ramachandran was elected Mayor in March this year, steps were taken to increase the revenue of the Corporation. On a pilot basis, the vacant land was rented out to conduct exhibitions, and it received good response.
From this November to June 2023, the Corporation has provided this land to conduct four private exhibitions and through this, it has earned ₹36 lakh revenue. From November 15 to January 3, 2023 (50 days), a Salem-based private company will conduct exhibition; from January 5 to February 24, 2023 (51 days), a Madurai-based company, from March 1, 2023, to April 16, 2023 (47 days), a Coimbatore-based company and from April 18, 2023, to June 4, 2023, the same Madurai-based company will conduct exhibitions.
The Corporation officials said as the land was near the bus stand, thousands of people from all over the district visit the exhibitions held here and it got good response from the private firms.
