The Cuttack district administration has decided to go on an appeal in the Supreme Court against the October 31 order of the East Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which has restricted the former from holding the historic Baliyatra on the bank of river Mahanadi in the city.
After weighing all the legal options available at its disposal, the administration decided to go on an appeal in the apex court to get a stay on the operation of the NGT order directly as the week-long festival is scheduled to begin on the day of Kartik Purnima on November 14.
According to sources, an Additional Government Advocate (AGA) of the High Court has been roped in by the district administration to conduct the case in the Supreme Court. Sources said the AGA would also submit an affidavit of the district Collector in the apex court stating that the festival is an important event in the culture calendar of the State and should not be stopped.
“The whole State is emotionally attached to the festival as it is observed to pay homage to the sea ferrying traders of the ancient Odisha, the erstwhile Kalinga, who used to travel to places in South East Asia, Africa and South America in non-mechanised boats for trade and it should not be discontinued,” feel elders of the city.
The NGT has ordered the district administration to avoid allotting plots on the riverbed for makeshift stalls while adjudicating an original appeal. The tribunal had earlier asked the administration in July this year not to use the riverbed as a dumping ground. It had also asked the administration not to have any permanent constructions on the riverbed.
Ensuring that the NGT order was not violated, the district administration was going ahead with its plans to allow temporary structure for the festival and, accordingly, had allotted at least 45 plots on Tuesday to traders for erecting temporary stalls, which have been kept in abeyance now following the NGT’s fresh order.