Ahmedabad civic authorities are preparing to assign a proposal for 800 bus shelters to Chitra Publicity under a public-private partnership model, even though the agency reportedly has an unpaid penalty and a police complaint linked to unauthorised tree cutting. The proposal would give the agency advertising rights at the shelters in return for funding their construction.
According to a report by Gujarat Samachar – Ahmedabad, Chitra Publicity had earlier been fined Rs 10 lakh by the civic corporation in connection with another case involving the cutting of trees without permission. The report said the penalty has not yet been recovered.
The agency also became the subject of a complaint at Sarkhej police station after it allegedly cut trees without permission along the road between YMCA and Yoga Circle. The civic corporation had issued a notice asking the agency to provide an explanation within three days. The report said no response was received within the stipulated period, following which the corporation filed an information-based complaint with the police.
Despite those pending issues, the proposed bus shelter arrangement would place Chitra Publicity in charge of creating 800 shelters across Ahmedabad under the public-private partnership model. Under the arrangement described in the report, the agency would bear the construction cost and receive rights to display advertisements on the shelters.
The proposal links two separate public responsibilities: the delivery of basic passenger infrastructure and the commercial use of public space. Bus shelters serve as waiting areas for passengers and can influence their exposure to weather, traffic conditions and roadside safety. Advertising rights, meanwhile, create a revenue opportunity for the private party that funds and maintains the facilities. The report does not provide details on the proposed locations, construction standards, maintenance obligations, contract duration, advertising fee structure or the process used to select the agency.
The reported agency selection also places attention on how pending penalties and complaints are considered before a private entity receives a new civic responsibility. The available report does not state whether the unpaid Rs 10 lakh penalty would be recovered before the proposal is finalised, or whether the complaint at Sarkhej police station has been resolved.
The chairman of the Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service committee was quoted as saying that a committee would be formed to monitor matters related to trees. The chairman also said the bus shelters would be developed under the public-private partnership model and that the advertising rights would remain with Chitra Publicity.
The next steps are expected to involve consideration of the proposal and the formation of the committee for oversight of tree-related matters. Further details on the final approval, shelter locations, design requirements, maintenance responsibilities and the status of the pending penalty were not provided in the report.
