BARGARH : Five councillors of Bargarh Municipality resigned on Tuesday protesting the decision of the district administration to relocate the venue of the 11-day Dhanu Yatra festival from Hatpada to Nishamani ground in the town.
Fearing that the decision would pit the voters of Hatpada against them, BJD Councillors Bedamati Pradhan, Sashi Agrawal, Basudev Bagarti, Ajit Seth and Congress Councillor Manoj Pradhan submitted their resignations to Executive Officer of Bargarh Municipality Sushanta Rout. While the resignations will be sent to the Council, which will take the final call, there seems to be remote chances of the Council accepting it, Rout said.
Since the inception of Dhanu Yatra, the Raj Durbar of demon King Kansa, the main protagonist of the Yatra, operates from Hatpada. It is believed to be the largest open-air theatre in the world where every citizen has a role to play. However, with the growing population and associated pressure, the space at Hatpada has been squeezed. Moreover, the daily markets operating in the area have also made the area congested.
In a bid to avert any possible casualties, the district administration has decided to change the venue to Nishamani school ground which is more spacious.
Last year, while seven days of the yatra were held in Hatpada, the rest four days were shifted to Nishamani school ground. However, this time the entire celebration of the festival, scheduled to begin on January 2 next year, will be organised at the school ground.