CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has fixed December 23 for hearing on the affidavit filed by Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) on the status of compliance of prescribed guidelines by Kalyan Mandaps operating in the city.
The division bench of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra fixed the date after Cuttack Municipal Corporation submitted an affidavit on the 74 private Kalyan Mandaps inspected by the civic body’s special squad.
Deputy Commissioner Latashree Bag stated that 39 of the 74 inspected were old Kalyan Mandaps and the rest 35 were new. As many as 34 of the 35 new Kalyan Mandaps were operating without No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Cuttack Development Authority (CDA) and hence, were “not renewable”. One new Kalyan Mandap had been closed.
While one old Kalyan Mandap had been closed, licence of the rest 38 old Mandaps had not been renewed, pending decision on compliance of different guidelines by them.
Bag submitted that during inspection, it appeared that all Mandaps may have been operating without informing the local police station or Assistant Police Commissioner (Traffic), Cuttack regarding their date of booking.
“However, expeditious steps are being taken to locate them on surprise check, award fine as provided in the guidelines and on continuous violation of not renewing their licence,” she said.
The Court was hearing a PIL on traffic chaos by increasing congestion on roads in different parts of the city during social functions as most banquet halls did not have parking areas.