CUTTACK: Acting on an affidavit filed by Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Orissa High Court has ordered closure of all kalyan mandaps operating in the city without no objection certificates (NOCs) from the Cuttack Development Authority.In the order on Monday, the division bench of Chief Justice KS Jhaveri and Justice KR Mohapatra set January 1, 2020 as deadline for closure of kalyan mandaps operating without NOC.
The bench further directed that all the kalyan mandaps should submit the bookings registered by them for social functions to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) by December 26.Deputy Commissioner, CMC, Latashree Bag had filed the affidavit stating that 39 of the 73 inspected kalyan mandaps were old, while the rest 35 were new. While licence of 34 of the 35 new kalyan mandaps were ‘not renewable’ as they were operating without without NOC, another had been closed, Bag indicated in the affidavit.
On December 2, the Court had imposed prohibition on registering bookings by kalyan mandaps operating without adhering to prescribed guidelines. However, in the affidavit Bag had stated: “On inspection it appeared that all mandaps may have been operating without informing local police station or Assistant Police Commissioner (Traffic), Cuttack regarding their date of booking.
However, expeditious steps are being taken to locate them on surprise check and award fine as provided in the guidelines and on continuous violation not renew their licence.”The Bench has posted the matter to February 3, 2020 for taking stock of compliance of the order. The Court was hearing a PIL on traffic chaos by increasing congestion in roads in different parts of the city during social functions in these banquet halls as most of them did not have parking areas.