JMC twice floated e-auction notice for static Ad panels in all four zones of JMC covering all 75 wards for the advertisement sites at these 113 Static Adv Panels which were properly published in print media through Govt Nodal Agency Information Department during the year 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 but both of them could not be matured, meanwhile JMC on its own managed revenue and continued to offer static Ad Panels for advertisements causing serious loss to Govt exchequer
Agreement signed between M/S Creative Designers from Amritsar & JSCL has no mention of upper and lower ceiling at per sqm per month to be applicable for clients who wish to advertise their products using Static Ad Panels besides there is no mention of static ad panels at disposal of JMC for displaying social and other messages free of cost. and more surprising is that when e-Nit was not advertised how two firms one from Chandigarh and another from Amritsar received information to bid in e-Nit which means that this was mere drama and it was pre-decided to whom the contract will be given
GY CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, APRIL 25
The cash-strapped Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has suffered revenue losses due to its laidback approach as a majority of identified advertisement sites at its disposal remained vacant. What is more interesting to note is that the advertisement sites outsourced by the civic body fetched good amount for it, while the JMC paid least attention to make the advertisement sites at its disposal profitable. the responsibility for causing a huge loss to the civic body needed to be fixed. “The loss caused to the Municipal Corporation could be assessed from the fact that it deliberately delayed notice inviting tender (NIT) for the advertisement sites at the disposal and kept minimum reserved price for the sites causing serious revenue losses.
To put the things in perspective, JMC under Jammu Smart City Ltd Projects erected 110 static ad panels by spending worth Rs 46524029 by M/S Parth Buildwell during the year 2021-2022 in all 75 wards. In this regard Jammu Smarty City Limited (JSCL) signed an agreement for the installation of Static Advertisement Panels at 113 different locations in three sizes in Jammu City covering nearly 37550 Sqm in all 75 wards to improve the public information system along with enhancing the aesthetic value of the city. The agreement was signed and exchanged between then Chief Executive officer (CEO), JSCL, Avny Lavasa, and Vice President of Parth Buildwell, Jatinder Singh.
It deserves mentioning here that JMC twice floated e-auction notice for static Ad panels in all four zones of JMC covering all 75 wards for the advertisement sites at these 113 Static Adv Panels which were properly published in print media through Govt Nodal Agency Information Department during the year 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 but both of them could not be matured, meanwhile JMC on its own managed revenue and continued to offer static Ad Panels for advertisements causing serious loss to Govt exchequer.
Anyhow under ongoing Jammu Smart City Ltd Projects , invited bids vide e-Nit No. JSCL 171/01 of 2024-25 (3rd call) dated 30-01-2025 made request for proposal ( RFP) for engagement of concessionaire to manage advertisements on static Ad Panels installed by Jammu Smart City Ltd for a period of five years. As per e-Nit, minimum yearly reserved license fee (MRLF) was kept Rs 51396562 excluding all taxes including GST which were to be paid separately by Firm/Agency participating in bidding and the cost of tender fee was Rs 5000 and earnest money deposit (bid security) to be deposited by participating bidders in the form of CDR/FDR/BG was fixed 2% of minimum yearly reserved license fee (MRLF). The last date of both financial and technical bids submission in electronic format on website www.jktenders.gov.in was from 3-2-2025 to 13-2-2025 upto 1800 hours only available both offline and online formats.
It deserves mentioning here that JSCL deliberately didn’t advertise the above e-Nit notice neither in J&KUT Print/electronic media nor any national print/electronic media skipping existing Govt Circular No. 22-JK(GAD) of 2023 dated 1-8-2023 which reads that all Administrative Secretaries/Heads of the departments/managing Directors of PSUs/Corporations/Boards/Organizations will ensure that no govt advertisement under any circumstances shall be sent /referred directly to print or electronic media without routing the same through Govt Nodal agency Information department media. This was pre-planned to somehow allot e-Nit to blue eyed Firms having active connivance with officials/officers of JSCL and inviting e-Nit was mere formality and thus deliberately didn’t advertise advertisements this in turn resulted in incompetent firms participated in bidding as had the e-NIT widely advertised, competent firms would have competed and it could have generated extra revenue but the same was sacrificed by vested interest to fill their personal appetite.Above mentioned was quite visible as only two firms participated in e-Nit namely M/S Creative Designer from Amritsar and other one was Vision Advertisers from Chandigarh.
Anyhow the information of allotment of e-Nit in favour of M/S Creative Designers from Amritsar was provided through letter of Intent(LoI) by Additional Chief Executive Officer, JSCL vide No. CEO/Smart City/2024-25/22047-52 dated 5-3-2025 informing bidder that his MRLF worth Rs 61811202 along with GST Rs 11126016.36 as per prevailing 18% cumulatively Rs 72937218.36 for the first year in accordance with e-Nit is hereby accepted . Accordingly an agreement was signed dated 24-3-2025 between M/S Creative Designers from Amritsar & JSCL.
Worthwhile to mention here that in the agreement signed there was no mention of upper and lower ceiling at per sqm per month to be applicable for clients who wish to advertise their products using Static Ad Panels besides there is no mention of static ad panels at disposal of JMC for displaying social and other messages free of cost. By and large this whole e-Nit seems mere formality the firms participated in e-NIT are little known firms have no publicity on Google and more surprising is that when e-Nit was not advertised how two firms one from Chandigarh and another from Amritsar received information to bid in e-Nit which means that this was mere drama and it was pre-decided to whom the contract will be given.
In light of above, serious loopholes in this e-Nit and agreement signed between M/S Creative Designers from Amritsar & JSCL should be addressed and higher authorities should let the citizens know why this e-Nit was not advertised in print and electronic media and why Govt Circular No. 22-JK(GAD) of 2023 dated 1-8-2023 was sidelined as had the e-Nit was properly advertised, competent firms would have approached this e-Nit and there is every likelihood that it could have fetched more revenue in govt exchequer.
