Cuttack: With Odisha’s most awaited festival of Bali Jatra less than a month away, the Cuttack district administration is fully geared to make it a smooth affair.
For the first time this year, the administration will add a road festival and boating as new attractions to the annual fair.
The road festival will be celebrated from 6 am to 9 am with performances by artists and bicycling and roller-skating activities for general public, reports Dharitri.
Also, two large ponds will be made for the visitors to enjoy boating. Cuttack District Collector Bhabani Shankar Chaini said local artistes and organisations who take interest in Bali Jatra will be involved in organising the special attractions.
The District Collector and Commissioner of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) Ananya Das have inspected the fair ground.
Since Bali Jatra also draws a lot of people from other parts of Odisha, CMC has been tasked with making special arrangements for parking, drinking water, sanitation, toilet facilities and testing food quality. NGOs will be roped in to help in the arrangements, the CMC Commissioner said.
Also this year, the fair venue has been increased and so the number of traders and stalls are going to be more. Therefore, four teams are to be formed to test the quality of food sold at the fair. And with the permission of Director of Health and Food Safety Commissioner, four food safety officers would be deputed for this purpose, informed food inspector Bhabani Lenka.
If the quality of food turns out to be poor or if anyone is found selling stale food, then they will be fined with the amount ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 20,000, he added.
