With no agency or company coming forward to sponsor and organise the event, the municipal corporation has proposed a ₹ 1 crore outlay from its own budget for the 55th Rose Festival, scheduled to be held in February or March next year. The proposal will be tabled for consideration and approval at the General House meeting on October 28.
The House had earlier approved inviting expressions of interest (EOIs) for the 39th Chrysanthemum Show 2026 and the 55th Rose Festival 2027, according to the agenda. For these competitions, an allocation of nearly ₹ 4 lakh has been proposed. Of the estimated expenditure, ₹ 46 lakh has been earmarked for waterproof tentage, furniture, stage arrangements, floral displays, lighting, refreshments, drinking water and related facilities. Another ₹ 13 lakh is proposed for decorative and security lighting, arrangements for various events and closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the Rose Garden, while ₹ 8 lakh has been allocated for horticulture-related work, including decorative entry and exit gates, bouquets and floral decorations.
Notices inviting reputed agencies, companies, individuals and proprietors to sponsor and organise the events were published in newspapers. However, no participants came forward. The festival sees a keen audience for floral art, decorative arrangements, brass and pipe band shows, and cultural shows. The crowd favourites remain the Rose Prince and Rose Princess competition – a pageant for babies, Mr and Mrs Rose competition for adults, and Rose King and Rose Queen for seniors.
