KOCHI: Civic administrators are planning to explore new modes for enhancing revenue.
They have identified special zones for display of advertisements, especially rail overbridges and flyovers in the city. Special locations will also be identified as part of the process. Such categorisation and allocation of rights to display advertisements are expected to increase the revenue of the local body significantly, according to civic authorities.
As many as nine areas where advertisements could be displayed, including high-mast lamp posts, have been identified. Tenders for displaying advertisements in these sectors will be floated shortly. If found successful, it will be placed before the corporation council for approval, a civic administrator said.
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Meanwhile, the corporation council on Friday will consider the finance standing committee proposal to auction off various rights to collect fee. This includes the right to operate six taxi stands, five parking lots, bio-toilets, comfort stations, and an abattoir at Kaloor.
The management of the Pachalam crematorium and the canteen at the Edappally zonal office of the corporation will also be auctioned off. Though the local body may hike the fee by at least 5 %, it will not reflect on the user fee. While allotting the facilities to entrepreneurs, the local body will fix a ceiling on the fee collected from the general public, said a civic official.
Some facilities, including the four bio-toilets set up at Kacheripady, Ernakulam Market, Palarivattom, and the Ernakulam Town hall, which had no takers last fiscal, will also come up for auction.
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Incidentally, the local body has not been able to let out the market at Koovappadam since 2014-15 owing to absence of power connection.
The corporation council will also consider a proposal for extending the lease period of public markets in the city to three years. Currently, they are let out for annual lease.