Sambalpur: Illegal Hoardings Flourish in Sambalpur; Tenders Still Delayed, SMC Promises Hoarding Tenders in January

No Action on Hoarding Tenders Despite Promises

Sambalpur: The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) continues to delay the tendering process for regulating city hoardings. Although officials have been announcing tenders for years, nothing concrete has been implemented. Despite repeated promises to start the process, tenders are yet to materialize.

Revenue Loss Due to Favoritism

The SMC is accused of granting permissions to a small number of companies without conducting proper tenders. These companies reportedly install hoardings and collect fees at will, depriving the government of significant revenue. Transparency is lacking, and officials remain silent about the exact amounts collected or the processes followed.

Hoardings Without Regulation

Sambalpur has become cluttered with illegal hoardings. However, no clear action is being taken to control them. Unlike cities like Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, where municipal corporations collect crores annually from hoarding taxes, Sambalpur struggles to generate even Rs. 50 lakhs. Insiders allege that officials and certain contractors are exploiting the lack of oversight to their benefit.

No Tenders in 10 Years

Since Sambalpur became a municipal corporation 10 years ago, no formal tenders for hoardings have been conducted. Officials continue to issue approvals to specific companies, creating a monopoly. Internal sources claim that this favoritism enables contractors to operate on unfair terms, further causing losses to the municipal funds.

Delayed Action and Promises

SMC officials state that tenders will be initiated in January, and the process of setting new rates will follow. However, these assurances have been made before, only to end in further delays. According to Additional Commissioner Ashok Mishra, some companies authorized by the state government under an empanelment system are currently managing the hoardings, paying Rs. 10 per square foot. He promised that new tenders would be called soon, and revised rates would be implemented.

Mismanagement and Allegations

Employees within the SMC reveal that the lack of a council committee has allowed unchecked authority to certain officials. These officials allegedly favor specific companies, granting them large spaces for hoardings while sidelining others. This mismanagement has led to complaints about the misuse of public funds and unnecessary financial burdens on the city.

While other cities efficiently manage their hoarding revenues, Sambalpur lags due to delayed tenders, favoritism, and administrative inefficiencies. Unless swift action is taken, the city’s financial losses and hoarding chaos will only worsen.