No Vending On Bada Danda During Rath Yatra, Puri Municipality Clarifies In HC

Cuttack: No vending zone would be established and no licence would be granted for opening of shops on the 2.5-km stretch of Bada Danda from Bada Sankha to Gundicha Temple in the pilgrim town during Rath Yatra

Puri municipality made this submission in Orissa High Court during hearing of a PIL, seeking its intervention to keep the 2.5 km stretch of national highway (NH) a non-vending zone.

Rajat Kumar Sahoo, a resident of Puri, had filed the petition alleging that municipality had issued quotations for auction and allotting licences for commercial vending along Bada Danda, while the National Highway Authority (NHAI) had issued no objection certificates (NOCs) for public utilities stalls.

Senior advocate PK Rath, appearing on behalf of the petitioner, contended that Puri municipality has no authority to allow vending zones and grant temporary licence for carrying out business on Bada Danda as it has been declared NH 203 by the NHAI.

According to records, the NHAI declared Bada Danda as NH-203 on July 22, 2002, after Puri roads and buildings division handed over 2.5-km stretch of Bada Danda from Singhadwara of Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple to NHAI, Bhubaneswar, on April 17, 2002.

Though Advocate P Mohanty, representing Puri municipality, admitted about the quotations issued for auction and allotment for stalls for commercial activities, he on Wednesday submitted an undertaking by the civic body before the HC that no vending zone would be established and licence will not be granted for opening of shops on the stretch. Following which, the division bench of Chief Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh and Justice Savitri Ratho disposed of the petition.