Cuttack, Dec. 8: Orissa High Court has turned the heat on the municipal corporation for allowing kalyan mandaps (marriage venues) to run without parking areas.

The court expressed concern as these marriage halls triggers traffic chaos in its vicinity and beyond during events hosted at these facilities.

The division bench of Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice S.C. Parija sought a report on the number of kalyan mandaps that were functioning without any parking area or permission based on physical verification. The bench will hear the matter again after two weeks.

A committee, consisting of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation additional commissioner, Cuttack Development Authority planning member, assistant commissioner of police (traffic) Cuttack and the amicus curiae in the case, has been constituted for the purpose.

During the verification process, the inspectors in-charge of various police stations under which the kalyan mandaps fall will also have to be a part of the committee.

While seeking the court's intervention, a letter petition had alleged that most of the kalyan mandaps did not have any parking space. It was also alleged that the approach roads to these venues were not suitable for parking vehicles.

The court had registered the petition of city resident E. Venkat Rao as a PIL on May 1. On August 28, the court had appointed advocate Arun Kumar Budhia as amicus curiae.

The civic body had earlier filed an affidavit stating that 180 kalyan mandaps were operating in the city.

However, the municipal corporation had no exact information on how many of these were functioning without a parking area or building plan approval.

Municipal commissioner Gyana Das told The Telegraph: "We have started a verification process to grant licence for operation of the kalyan mandaps."

The court had directed the municipal corporation "to ensure that such kalyan mandaps do not operate without licences".