Cuttack: The historic Baliyatra got off to a colourful start in Cuttack Monday evening. Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha, in the presence of local MPs and MLAs, inaugurated the eight-day festival at Gadagadia Ghat on the bank of Mahanadi river, adjacent to the 10th-century Barabati Fort ruins. Spread over more than 20 acres, the two fairgrounds have housed more than 2,000 makeshift stalls, officials said. Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) has allotted nearly 450 stalls to beneficiaries of self-employment schemes.
Rural producers and artisans have packed their stalls with ethnic items, ranging from products made of golden grass and terracotta to wooden and bamboo items. The fair, which will continue till December 4, is also famous for its food stalls. On an inaugural day, revellers were seen crowding stalls selling ‘Thunka Puri’ and ‘Dahi Bara’. Rides such as swings, merry-go-rounds, and giant wheels were seen attracting youth and children in large numbers. While the district administration and the civic body have made arrangements to keep the fairgrounds garbage-free, a ban has been imposed on polythene.
Police said they have made elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order, besides managing traffic on the roads leading to the fairgrounds. Anti-sabotage, anti-terrorist, and quick reaction forces (QRF) have also been deployed at the festival grounds.
Elaborate fire-fighting arrangements have also been made. Cuttack DCP Pinak Mishra said 25 aid posts have been set up at different places on the fairgrounds to assist visitors. Special arrangements have been made for senior citizens, women, and children at the grounds, he said. A total of 60 platoons of police forces (one platoon comprises 30 personnel) have been deployed, he added.