OST Bureau
Cuttack, Nov 18:

Baliyatra Baliyatra 2013 kicks off

The weeklong Baliyatra Festival which was formally inaugurated Sunday by Agriculture minister Debi Prasad Mishra on the bank of river Mahanadi near the Barabati fort here will be extended by one day and end Sunday instead of Saturday as was planned earlier on public demand.

The annual fair which is held to commemorate the maritime glory of ancient Odisha, will be observed on a low key this year in view of the widespread damages in many parts of the state caused by cyclone Phailin, heavy rains and floods recently.

There will be no entertainment programmes and merrymaking at the fair venue following the decision of the local administration to ban joyrides, including the giant wheels and ‘Maut Ka Kuan’ due to mishaps in the past.

As many as 1300 stalls have come up on the two fair grounds covering an area of over 50 acre. These stalls have been insured for Rs 4 crore, official sources said.

Elaborate police arrangements have been made to maintain law and order in and around the fairgrounds as lakhs of visitors would be visiting here everyday.

Three lakh people had thronged the fair on Sunday, reports said.

The entire fair ground is being monitored with the help of close-circuit television cameras. The city police have also formed quick reaction teams.