Bids for Night Food Street opened

The Municipal Corporation on Tuesday opened bids for the kiosks on the Night Food Street. Of the six kiosks that were vacant,one found no taker. The highest bid for one of the kiosks was Rs 1.06 lakh.

The corporation had decided to revert to the system of inviting bids. Earlier this year the kiosks at the Night Food Street had been auctioned. While it fetched the civic body substantial revenue,the kiosk owners had found it unfeasible to run the kiosks due to the high rentals. The kiosk owners finally stopped paying the rent.

After serving them notices,the civic body got the kiosks vacated. It was then decided that bids would be invited for these kiosks again. The reserve price was fixed at Rs 40,000. The kiosks on an average fetched around Rs 55,000.

The system of auctioning the kiosks ,has however,tampered with the whole concept of the Night Food Street. The aim was to provide food at reasonable prices to students of Panjab University and attendants of patients coming to PGI. Due to high rentals,the prices of food shot north.