CUTTACK: After the six-day impasse over hike in ground rent came to an end, the stalled process for booking of plots for setting up stalls at Baliyatra fair resumed on Sunday.
This year, the administration had hiked rates from `27 to `29 per sqft for setting up temporary shops and traders wanting to avail more than 4000 sqft plot were asked to obtain permission from the Collector. On November 5, the district administration had started allocating plots by setting up its temporary office at Gadagadeswar temple.
Opposing the hike, businessmen refused to take plots and staged dharna under the banner of Baliyatra Traders’ Association demanding immediate rollback of the decision. As a result, the stall booking was stalled for the last six days. However, the process resumed on Sunday after the administration revoked its decision and fixed last year’s rent. The administration also issued a fresh notification.
Sadar Tehsildar Sanjay Kumar Pratihari said so far, 84 plots have been allotted to traders with collection of `5,18,760. “We will go for auction for setting up swings and joy-riders on Monday,” he informed. Protesting the move, the traditional swing and joy-rider traders have said they will not participate in the tender process. “We will not be able to stand against the gangsters and tender mafias who will be benefitted through tender fixing,” said Samsad Alli, a trader.