Traders agree to put up stalls for Baliyatra festival

After day-long parleys, traders Saturday agreed to put up stalls for the 11-day long Baliyatra festival here beginning from Friday next week, officials said.

"We have now decided to participate in the fair actively and make the festival a success after the district administration fulfilled all our demands after discussions," said Baliyatra Byabasay Sangh president Sukant Mohanty.

The traders were demanding multiple allotments of plots to erect bigger stalls and allotment of space for joy ride vendors without any auction.

There will be no auction for giant wheel vendors and the multiple allotments of stalls will be allowed, Mohanty said.

Cuttack District Collector Arvind Agarwal also confirmed that all controversies with the traders have been amicably settled.

"We need active cooperation of traders to make the festival a success," he said.

Accusing the administration of adopting an adamant attitude, the traders had earlier decided to boycott the festival.

At least 1300 makeshift stalls will be erected over 50 acres of land spread across two fair grounds for the Baliyatra festival beginning from the auspicious day of Kartika Purneema on Friday. The festival this year will be of 11-days duration instead of seven days, as was the practice earlier.