The Cuttack district administration has fixed Rs25 per a devotee as boat fare to and from the Dhabaleswar Peeth from Bidanasi Ghat during Panchuka on river Mahanadi.
The administration has strictly warned the boat drivers not to demand more money and asked them to keep Rs5 change to make the transaction quickly. This apart, the boatmen have been asked to provide lifejackets to the devotees in their respective vessels. District Collector Nirmal Mishra has cautioned boatmen to register their boats, besides asking them to carry affordable passengers as per the registered capacity of the boats.
This apart, use of small country boats (Hooli Danga) has been strictly banned to carry any devotees to the Shiva shrine.
The ghats would also remain under CCTV surveillance.
As many as 30 big boats would be deployed at the Bidanasi Ghat side while two of them would be working at Mancheswar Ghat of Athagarh. Banners to make the passengers aware of the rules of passing in boats would be put up near the ghats. Trained divers of the State would also remain watchful at the ghats, said Endowment Officer and Athagarh Sub-Collector Basanta Kumar Rout.
Similarly, the administration has decided to collect Rs3 per devotee passing through the hanging bridge connected to the temple from Mancheswar village.