Cuttack, March 16: Orissa High Court today ordered for closure of all the 104 kalyan mandaps (banquet halls) that were being operated in the city without any licence from the municipal corporation.

The court issued the direction while adjudicating on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking intervention against banquet halls that were being operated without any parking area and solid waste disposal method. On May 1 last year, the court had registered the letter petition of city resident E. Venkat Rao as a PIL.

The high court was concerned as the marriage halls were causing traffic congestion on major roads. The approach roads to these mandaps, mostly used for marriage celebrations and various social ceremonies, were also not suitable for parking vehicles.

On December 3 last, the court had sought a detailed report on the number of kalyan mandaps that did not have any parking area and were functioning without approval.

The court expected a report based on physical verification by a committee consisting of the additional commissioner of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation, planning member of the Cuttack Development Authority, assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Cuttack and the amicus curiae, appointed by the court on August 28, in the case. During the physical verification, the inspectors in charge of various police stations were also present.

When the matter came up for hearing today, the corporation submitted a fact-sheet indicating that 76 of the 180 kalyan mandaps operating in the city had applied for licence so far.

"Taking note of it, the division bench of Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice S.C. Parija directed the civic body to shut down the remaining 104 kalyan mandaps. The court also directed the deputy commissioner of police to extend the necessary support to the civic body for the closure," amicus curiae Arun Kumar Budhia told The Telegraph.

"The court was enraged as the 104 kalyan mandap owners did not come forward to apply for licence even after the civic body had published public notice in newspapers and individual notices to the owners as well," Budhia said.

In its interim order, the court also specified that the applicants would have to file an undertaking before the civic body declaring that they would abide by the terms and conditions or any direction that might be passed by the court. The court has set April 27 as the deadline for submission of the compliance report.

The undertaking shall also indicate that the owners will make parking arrangements for their kalyan mandaps without obstructing traffic.

The police and the civic body will have to depute an inspector to inspect compliance of these directions.