AMC Loses ₹50 Crore A Year After Ending Decoration Contracts; New Policy To Revive System

The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is staring at an annual financial impact of around ₹50 crore after stopping its decoration contract system for community halls and party plots, with the civic body now preparing a new policy to bring the system back.

The AMC previously earned around ₹10 crore a year through decoration contracts. Since the system was discontinued, the corporation has lost that revenue while continuing to spend nearly ₹40 crore annually on security, cleaning and maintenance of its community halls and party plots.

AMC Plans New Decoration Package System

The AMC had invited tenders for decoration work at its community halls and party plots until 2018. The system was discontinued after complaints that contractors were allegedly charging customers more than prevailing market rates.

Following the decision, people booking civic halls and party plots for weddings were allowed to arrange decoration independently.

Now, the corporation is considering bringing back the contract system with safeguards aimed at preventing customers from being overcharged.

Standing Committee chairman Kamlesh Patel said officials have been asked to work on a new decoration system. The proposed model is likely to offer different decoration packages, allowing customers to select services according to their requirements.

The AMC also plans to consult decoration associations before finalising the policy. Once the policy is approved, a fresh tender process will be undertaken.

Civic Body Sees ₹50 Crore Annual Financial Impact

Under the earlier system, decoration contracts generated approximately ₹10 crore in annual revenue for the AMC.

That income stopped after the contract system was discontinued. At the same time, the civic body continues to incur around ₹40 crore a year on security personnel, cleaning and maintenance of community halls and party plots.

The combination of lost revenue and continuing expenditure has resulted in an estimated ₹50 crore annual financial impact on the civic body.

The proposed policy is therefore aimed at restarting the revenue-generating system while addressing the complaints that led to its earlier closure.

AMC Drops Wedding Invitation Requirement For Hall Booking

The Standing Committee also took up an issue concerning documents required to book AMC community halls and party plots for weddings.

A resident who approached the Maninagar civic centre to book a community hall in Gota was reportedly asked to submit Aadhaar cards of the bride and groom and their parents, a cancelled cheque and a wedding invitation card.

The applicant had not yet printed the invitation as the wedding was still around six months away. He subsequently raised the issue with Standing Committee chairman Kamlesh Patel.

Wedding Kankotri No Longer Mandatory

Following the discussion, the Standing Committee decided that a wedding invitation card, or kankotri, will no longer be mandatory for booking an AMC community hall or party plot for a marriage.

Applicants will, however, continue to be required to submit other prescribed documents, including Aadhaar cards and cancelled cheques of the bride and groom and their parents.

The decision is expected to make the booking process easier for residents planning weddings well in advance.