MCC to auction spaces outside Kudroli and Mangaladevi temples for Dasara stalls

The public action of the spaces follows the direction of the Karnataka High Court on a writ petition filed by a section of street vendors under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Hindu Jatra Vyaparasthara Sangha

The Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) on Monday, September 30, will auction spaces outside the Kudroli Gokarnanatha and Mahatobara Mangaladevi temples where trade stalls will come up during the 10-day Dasara festival, which starts on October 3.

The public action of the spaces follows the direction of the Karnataka High Court on a writ petition filed by a section of street vendors under the aegis of Karnataka Rajya Hindu Jatra Vyaparasthara Sangha. In the order on September 26, Judge Hemant Chandangoudar directed the MCC Commissioner not to allot spaces for setting up stalls/shops, outside the two temples, without following due process of law.

The MCC will auction a total of 140 spaces outside the Kudroli temple. This includes 130 stalls of 10 ft.x5 ft. dimension and 10 stalls of 10 ft. x 15 ft. dimension. The public auction is scheduled at 3 p.m. on Monday.

Earlier, at 10.30 a.m., there will be an auction of 90 stalls coming outside the Mangaladevi temple. This includes 30 stalls each of 10 ft. x 8 ft. and 10 ft. x 10 ft. dimensions respectively. The MCC will also auction 14 stalls of 10 ft. x 5.5 ft., nine stalls of 10 ft. x 6 ft., and seven stalls of 10 ft. and 7 ft. dimensions.

Taking to reporters here on Saturday, September 28, president of Sangha Mahesh Das said earlier years’ bids were being floated by the MCC for the space outside the Kudroli temple and it was being allotted to the highest bidder. In turn, this bidder allotted spaces to different stalls by charging inflated sums and earned good income at the cost of Temple and the MCC.

Last year, a Billava youth organisation bagged the tender for ₹49,000. The organisation earned ₹90 lakh and it paid ₹38 lakh to the Kudroli temple. The MCC has been spending more than ₹1 crore every year towards lighting the roads of the city during the 10 days of the festival, Mr. Das said.

This year, stalls in Kudroli will be allotted individually through auction and it will not be allotted to a single bidder.

Space outside the Mangaladevi temple is being auctioned in public for the second successive year. Last year, the temple earned revenue of ₹10.5 lakh from the auction. In 2022, the temple had earned revenue of about ₹3 lakh by allocating space to the highest bidder, who in turn allocated stalls, Mr. Das said.

This year the stalls in front of Mangaladevi temple will also be auctioned by the MCC.

Published - September 28, 2024 09:59 pm IST