Resentment is brewing among the vendors wishing to set up stalls at vantage locations on the Baliyatra grounds for the forthcoming week-long annual festival beginning from Kartik Purnima on November 17.
Vendors are objecting to the decision of the district administration, which has for the first time this year, decided to auction some prime plots covering over an acre of land located at new Baliyatra ground in Mahanadi riverbed.
“While over 1,200 plots covering over 16 acres of land in both the festival grounds would be allotted to the interested vendors on a fixed price, why the administration has decided to auction only 12 prime plots,” ask the vendors smelling rat in the motive.
The district administration has, however, denied of any foul intention in auctioning these plots. “The district Collector has taken the decision to auction these prime plots only to boost revenue generation,” said Cuttack Sadar tehsildar Subhananda Mohapatra.
But the decision of the administration has come under flak as vendors allege that auctioning of prime plots would usher in criminal activities. A similar incident took place last year when the administration decided to auction some cycle stands located at vantage points leading to the brutal murder of a Puja Committee office bearer, said an advocate of the Odisha High Court.
The vendors, who had been procuring these prime plots for over a decade, claim that they have certain preferential stake on these plots as they were the trendsetters in setting up stalls on the riverbed and encouraging other vendors to come here. “In fact, we helped the district administration fill its coffers by bringing more and more areas under festival ground,” the vendors pointed out.
They are also objecting to the fact that the auction process would run for over a week and by the time the third auction would be over on November 14, the successful bidder will have only two days in hand to set up the stall for the festival to begin on November 17.