Mangaluru ‘Town Hall’ to be Rechristened as ‘Kudmul Ranga Rao Purabhavana’ on 29 Aug
Mangaluru: “Do you both lawfully wedded (husband/wife), agree on this your Wedding Day to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part ?”. “Yes we do!”. “Do you both husband and wife agree to pay the rent of Rs 1 lakh for your wedding reception at the newly renovated Town Hall-Mangaluru?”. “Yes, we do!”. Effective December 1, 2015 renting Town Hall for a wedding function has cost Rs 1 lakh for the day, which includes hall, sound and lighting system, air-condition and other new facilities. The rent has been hiked from 2014 rent of Rs. 25,000.
The newly renovated Town Hall which was completed at a cost of Rs 4.58 crore was inaugurated on Children’s Day-14 November 2015, and was rented out for public functions and other occasions from December 1, 2015. According to sources, Mangaluru City Corporation is in charge of the maintenance of the Town Hall. Security and maintenance people have been outsourced. Murals showcase on the walls at the entrance and on both the sides of the stage. Acoustical equipment, false ceiling, lights, stage, seats, air conditioner, generator and other amenities have been installed. Based on the artistes’ feed backs, teak wood flooring for the stage have been installed. Sophisticated lights, various facilities in the green room for the artistes, including AC, LEDs, signboard, garden outside the Town Hall and many other facilities have been added. To cover up all the expenses incurred MCC has decided to hike the rent.
The renovated Town Hall also now is disabled-friendly with the erection of a ramp outside the Hall as well as inside, leading to the stage. Other facilities added are- two VIP rooms, two private rooms, dining room, modern sound-light system (so there is no need of hiring outside sound and light), Air-conditioned hall, green room, comfortable modern seats, modern western/Indian toilets/ bathrooms. The entire premises outside the hall has been asphalted, CCTVs on the premises, a generator room, parking bays and a garden are added. So with an extreme make-over, the renovated Town Hall now comes with a new rental tariff if someone wants it for functions or other occasions. Bookings to hire the hall is done at MCC office building.
According to reliable sources, the rent for hiring the hall for wedding reception with the air-conditioned facility was earlier fixed at Rs. 35,000, including the ground rent of Rs. 10,000. In addition, those who hired the hall had to pay Rs. 10,000 as booking charge which was refundable. But now it is learnt that the rent has been hiked to Rs. 90,000/one lakh, while the ground rent for erecting shamiyana for serving food has been retained at Rs. 10,000. The advance booking charge has been hiked to Rs. 40,000. Seems like the new committee of Town Hall are trying to match with the rent of Rs 1.5 lakh which other private halls charge for wedding functions!
Here is a summary of proposed rent: For Marriage function purpose-Rs 1 lakh plus Rs 40,000 booking charge (old rent: Rs 35,000 plus Rs 10,000 booking charge); Anniversary functions- Rs 35,000 (old rent-Rs 5,000). During the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) Council meeting held on 29 June 2017, Mayor Kavitha Sanil with the approval of Council members decided to slash the rent and deposit rates for using the Town Hall by more than 50 %. In a major respite to artistes, the rates slashed came into effect on July 1, 2017 and artistes could book the Town Hall four months in advance.
The rent for using the Town Hall has been reduced considerably for free cultural programmes of local flavor, especially yakshagana, thalamaddale, harikathe and dramas. The rent for free shows of yakshagana, drama, thalamaddale, harikathe, felicitations, bharatnatyam, magic shows, government functions and cultural programmes has been reduced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5,000, if it is without the use of air-conditioning. The rent for such free shows with air-condition has been reduced from Rs 45,000 to Rs 25,000. The deposit for free shows has been reduced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 5,000 on booking the hall without AC and with AC, it is reduced from Rs 15,000 to Rs 10,000.
The rent for organizing musical nites without air-condition facility has been reduced from Rs 30,000 to Rs 10,000. The deposit has been slashed from Rs 45,000 to Rs 5,000. The rent, with air-condition facility, for benefit shows with ticket, has been slashed from Rs 55,000 to Rs 35,000. The rent for organizing commercial Yakshagana shows without air-condition has been reduced from Rs 20,000 to Rs 10,000.
Going back to the history of Town Hall–it was opened on December 29, 1964-it was closed for renovation in mid-September 2014. Renovation work started on October 18, 2014, in view of its Golden Jubilee. The estimated cost of renovation was Rs 3.55 crore, but when it was completed the cost went up to Rs 4.58 crore. The Mangaluru City Corporation, which renovated the common persons’ hall, inaugurated it on November 14, 2015.
The renaming of the present Town Hall-Mangaluru will take place at 10.30am and Minister U T Khader will do the honors with many other VIP personalities. On the same day, Minister for Urban Development and Housing U.T. Khader will inaugurate 13 projects and lay foundation for 27 new projects, including the multi-level car parking facility at Hampankatta and building bus shelters, totally costing ₹462.45 crore.13 projects have cost ₹11.55 crore and 27 projects would be taken up at an estimated cost of ₹450.9 crore.
Some of the 13 projects completed include a public toilet inside Kadri Park, two public e-toilets near Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) colony at Pakkaladkka and near KHB grounds at Pakkaladkka, public toilet at the swimming pool in Lady Hill, a road leading to the landfill site at Kunjathbail, and other roadworks. The landfill site on two acres is meant for dumping construction and demolition waste.
The other completed projects are a park at VII Block in Katipalla, concrete road from Kankanady Father Muller Hospital Junction to Pumpwell, and a bridge on Pachchanady main road. The Mayor said that the Minister will lay foundation stone for a 11 km-long sewage pumping main line from Pandeshwar wet well to the sewage treatment plant at Mullakadu (Kavoor). It will cost ₹93 crore. The project will be taken up under financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank.
Among the other new projects for which the foundation will be laid under smart city scheme are constructing a multi-level car parking facility-cum-commercial complex at Hampankatta, construction of bus shelters, developing the road from Clock Tower to A.B. Shetty Circle, installing roof-top solar panels on government buildings to harness solar energy, setting command control centre in city corporation building, and laying underground drainage pipelines. In addition, the Minister will lay the foundation for renovation of swimming pool at Lady Hill, developing road circles at Bondel, Bunts Hostel, Karangalpady, KSRTC, and Lalbagh. The foundation for the second stage construction of a residential apartment for civic workers at Mahakalipadpu and completing pending works of Bejai market will also be laid.