Mangaluru: Kanara Industries Association (KIA), representing micro, small, medium and large enterprises across Dakshina Kannada district, has submitted a formal representation to the DC and the administrator of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) seeking withdrawal and review of the recent tender for gantries, cantilevers and outdoor advertising rights.KIA secretary Roshan Baliga B said the association felt it necessary to place its concerns in the public domain, as the tender in its present form raised serious issues. These include the exclusion of local MSMEs due to high turnover thresholds, loss of local employment in fabrication, installation and maintenance activities, and the bundling of large public assets under a single concession, which limits competition.The association also flagged subjective technical evaluation criteria, including heavy weightage for design and methodology without clear benchmarks, and the absence of a disclosed upset price or reserve licence fee, which it said affects transparency in public asset monetisation. The eligibility condition requiring a minimum turnover of Rs 18 crore from the advertisement business effectively excludes almost all Mangaluru-based MSMEs.KIA noted that local MSMEs have historically supported Mangaluru’s outdoor advertising ecosystem by providing employment to skilled and semi-skilled workers and ensuring that economic activity stays within the district. It said the present tender structure may inadvertently marginalise these enterprises and centralise opportunities with a few large, out-of-city entities.KIA said its representation was made in a constructive and institutional spirit, seeking a review of the tender conditions to ensure public procurement remains transparent, inclusive, competitive, and aligned with local economic and employment objectives.
