CUTTACK: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has waived the licence fees for organising ‘Dola Melan’ in the city.
As per reports, the civic body, under the chairmanship of mayor Subhas Singh, held a preparatory meeting with office-bearers of Mahanagar Shanti Committee and puja committees for peaceful conduct of Dola Melan in the city. The puja committees and Mahanagar Shanti Committee had requested CMC for waiving the licence fees for the festival.
“Taking into account the request of office bearers of puja committees and Mahanagar Shanti Committee, it was unanimously decided to waive the licence fees for Dola Melan in the city. Accordingly, we took the decision two hours before the model code of conduct came in force,” said Singh.
The puja committees had to pay licence fee of Rs 2,000 for day one of the festival and Rs 1,000 for the second day when cultural programmes are organised. “Now, the puja committees will not have to pay to avail licence for holding Dola Melan and cultural programmes,” said Singh.
Mahanagar Shanti Committee general secretary Bhikari Das said Dola festival is celebrated in the city for five days from Dola Dashami to Dola Purnima.
“As many as 26 Dola Melans of 72 sankirtan mandalis are held at different localities in the city from Dola Dashami to Dola Purnima. Since Dola Melans are organised mostly on city roads, the civic body had been collecting licence fees from the organisers. We thank CMC authorities for considering our request and waiving the licence fees,” he said.