Cuttack, May 18: A joint squad consisting of municipal corporation officials and police today sealed 21 kalyan mandaps (banquet halls) operating illegally from various hotels in the city.

Sources said as many as 11 banquet halls, including Monalisa Hotel, Manorama Plaza, Vishal Inn in Badambadi police station limits and 10 other, including Durga and Lakshmi mandaps, in Chauliaganj police station limits were sealed.

The team, so far, has sealed 31 kalyan mandaps functioning without any approval from the municipal corporation in the past two days.

Yesterday, 10 kalyan mandaps, including nine in Lalbagh and one in Bidanasi police station limits, were sealed.

"We have sealed 21 kalyan mandaps that were operating in an unauthorised manner," said corporation's recovery officer Tilottama Sahu.

All the kalyan mandaps that have been sealed were functioning without any permission from the civic body and all of them lacked adequate parking provision.

"Our banquet hall was not functioning for the past six months owing to ongoing construction and renovation. We will apply for approval so that it can be reopened after renovations are over," said Pramod Malick, manager of Monalisa Hotel.

According to high court's order, the civic body has started the process to close down 104 kalyan mandaps that lack adequate parking provisions leading to traffic congestion on major roads.

Besides, most of the kalyan mandaps do not have proper solid waste management system, which is also leading to widespread resentment and public inconvenience in several parts of the city, Sahu said.

The ongoing crackdown on illegal kalyan mandaps is expected to resolve the basic issue of traffic congestion to a great extent.

"We are happy that the civic authorities have swung into action by cracking down on the kalyan mandaps as a lot of commuters were facing problems due to arbitrary parking on the roadside during marriage celebrations and other social functions," said Dinesh Sahu, a resident of Tulasipur.

A high court appointed committee consisting of the additional commissioner of the civic body, planning member of Cuttack Development Authority and assistant commissioner of police (traffic) had conducted a physical verification of all the kalyan mandaps in the city.

Subsequently, it was found that out of the city's 180 kalyan mandaps, 76 had applied for licence and the court had ordered the civic body for immediate closure of the 104 mandaps operating illegally.