Cuttack: Orissa high court on Thursday confirmed that Bali Yatra 2024 will be organised at both its traditional locations — the upper ground in Killa Maidan and lower ground on the reclaimed Mahanadi riverbed near Gadgadia Ghat. The decision comes amid speculation that the fair might be restricted to only the lower ground this year.
On Oct 30, the court's special bench for civic issues had requested for a feasibility report from the state govt regarding the possibility of relocating all stalls to the lower ground.
Appearing before the bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice V Narasingh, Cuttack collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde explained that such a shift was impractical at this stage. He cited the National Green Tribunal's order limiting the use of reclaimed riverbed land to 34 acres, and noted that the upper ground plots had already been auctioned to 601 private persons since Oct 26. The lower ground has been designated to accommodate over 1,800 stalls, according to official plans.
While permitting this year's festival to proceed at both venues, the bench directed the collector to explore the possibility of consolidating all stalls in the lower ground from next year. "The court expects the collector to plan accordingly beforehand," the bench stated.
The relocation proposal originated from the advocates' committee headed by High Court Bar Association president Bijay Dash, who suggested using the upper ground solely for parking, citing adequate space in the reclaimed riverbed area for all stalls.
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