Bhubaneswar: The Orissa High Court has allowed the authorities to organise this year’s Bali Jatra at the Upar Padia (Upper Ground) and Tala Padia (Lower Ground) in Cuttack city.

The court had earlier advised the authorities not to hold the annual trade fair at the Upar Padia, the ground near Barabati fort in the Silver City.

The HC had asked the Cuttack Collector to discuss the issue with all departments and take the necessary steps.

However, the court today allowed the administration to hold the fair at Upar Padia and Tala Padia, a portion of the floodplains of Mahanadi river in Cuttack, this year.

The HC was hearing a case pertaining to the civic issues of the Cuttack city.

But, the administration will take the necessary steps to organise Bali Jatra only at the Tala Padia next year.

The court has directed the Cuttack district administration to introduce appropriate measures to avoid heavy rush at the fairground. Similarly, the administration will not allow stalls on the footpaths near the fairground.

The Cuttack Collector informed the HC that the administration will make a green corridor for the smooth movement of ambulances and other vehicles to the fairground for providing essential services to the visitors as well as shopkeepers.

Bali Jatra, the biggest trade fair in Odisha, is scheduled to kick off in Cuttack on November 15.The iconic trade fair will continue for eight days till November 22.

The fair usually begins on the occasion of Kartika Purnima and continues for around a week. The annual fair is organised on the banks of Mahanadi to celebrate the glorious maritime history of Odisha.

Traders from across the country, corporate houses and government agencies usually open their stalls at the fair.

Thousands of people from several districts of Odisha visit the fair to buy household goods, decorative pieces and wooden items among other things.

Hundreds of food stalls also come up at the fair to serve varieties of cuisines to the people.

The state government had accorded the state festival tag to Bali Jatra a few years ago.

It is worth mentioning here that the trade fair could not be held for two years (2020 and 2021) due to the Covid-19 pandemic.