The Commissionerate police have issued guidelines regarding Baraats (marriage processions) in the city to prevent traffic disruptions and clashes.
As per the guidelines, the police would not give permission for taking out Baraats on the city road without presence of cops. The new guidelines would come into force from January 1, 2017. Two police personnel would escort the Baraat to the wedding venue or mandaps or resorts. The cops would control the traffic and wedding procession to ease the traffic congestion.
Also, the marriage processions would be restricted on four prime routes -- Cuttack Road, Sishu Bhawan Chhak-Vani Vihar, Airport-Nandankanan Road and Sishu Bhawan Chhak-AG Square-Governor House route in view of the traffic jams caused on the routes due to Baraats.
A notification regarding the new guidelines would be issued soon for the public. The decision was taken at a meeting attended by Police Commissioner YB Khurania, DCP Satyabrat Bhoi, Traffic DCP Krushna Chandra Samal and senior traffic police officers on Thursday.
In view of the traffic chaos on major routes and clashes reported during wedding processions in the prime locations especially in Kharavel Nagar, Sahid Nagar, Janpath, Nayapally, Chandrasekharpur, Old Town, Ravi Talkies area, Madhusudan Nagar, Gopabandhu Chhak, Bhimtangi and Nageswar Tangi residential areas, the police have come up with the decision to deploy two cops who would escort the wedding procession and control the traffic, said Khurania.
However, not all are amused with the guidelines. Some locals said police presence in the Baraats wouldn’t allow the revellers to celebrate the occasion freely. Besides, they are afraid the police personnel might try to extort money from the grooms’ relatives; and as most of banquet halls are located in prime areas, they might face difficulties in reaching the venues.