Bhubaneswar: Civic body allows Kalyan Mandaps to start operations as part of Unlock 6
BHUBANESWAR: As part of its Unlock guidelines for November, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has allowed registrations of new bookings in Kalyan Mandaps under the civic body’s management.
The government on Saturday increased the guest limit up to 200 from the current 50.
BMC commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhury said online bookings for Kalyan Mandaps have already started. “Though the government has increased the guest limit, it doesn’t mean people can violate Covid-19 norms. The BMC squads will be vigilant to check if social distancing or other safety protocol is violated. Penalty will be finalised based on the violations,” he added.
Ahead of the marriage season, reopening of Kalyan Mandaps will help traders who deal in the supply of event management items earn their livelihoods. This will also help those who can’t afford to book hotels for social functions.
The mandaps had been closed since March even though the government had allowed 50 people to attend social functions from June. People had to depend on private facilities. “As the wedding season is kicking in, the move will be a relief for many. Besides, it will earn some revenue for the BMC,” a civic body official said. The government has also increased the guest limit in functions relating to last rites. It has been raised to 50 guests from 20.
BMC deputy commissioner Kamaljit Das said there were 21 BMC-managed Kalyan Mandaps and community centres. “We take the payments in advance for all facilities. While Kalyan Mandaps have two slabs of tariffs — Rs 21,000 and Rs 29,500, community centres have it fixed at Rs 8,000,” he added.
Binay Bhushan Patnaik, president of All Odisha Catering Association, welcomed the decision and said the increase in the number of guests would boost the business as they were sitting idle for eight months. “It is heartening news. Youths who are dependent on catering services must feel relieved. Their livelihoods had been severely hit due to the pandemic,” he said.
Ever since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the Smart City has seen 640 social functions (marriage, thread ceremony, birthdays and last rites) being organized in a low-key manner as compared to 1,400 such functions held during the corresponding period last year.
The state government didn’t allow social functions in the second half of March and the entire April. From May, the Special Relief Commissioner came up with revised guidelines that allowed marriage ceremonies (baraat and reception) to take place with the participation of not more than 50 people.
The people who had fixed their wedding days in March and April had to either cancel or reschedule them in May, June and July (till the middle of the month) as there was no auspicious lagna for marriage after July 15 as per the almanac.