A welcome gate being constructed by Khannagar Puja committee. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Sept. 22: The municipal corporation will act tough on Puja organisers if they fail to repair the roads dug up for installing pandals and welcome gates.

This year, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation had to take this decision as it failed to collect revenue towards restoration of roads last year.

The civic body collects a security deposit of Rs 10,000 from each Puja committee for allowing them to build makeshift pandals and welcome gates.

“Due to Phailin and other reasons, we had to return the security money last year. This time, we have decided to refund the money only after deducting road restoration charges,” said commissioner Gyana Ranjan Das.

Official sources said the squad consisting of officials of the engineering section would be formed to assess the damage caused to roads by the Puja committees after the festival ends on October 5.

Based on the report, the municipal corporation will carry out repair works, but the expenses will be deducted from the security money collected from the Puja committees. However, this will happen only if the committees do not repair the road on their own.

The Puja committees are allowed to build pandals and gates only after they deposit the security money with the civic body and obtain a no-objection certificate that is submitted before police for final approval.

Out of 155 Puja committees, only the major organisers deposit the security money every year.

So far, six Puja committees, including Khannagar Puja committee (five gates), Samant Sahi (one gate), Badambadi (one gate) and Seikh Bazar (six gates), have deposited the security money.

Earlier, Orissa High Court had banned digging of roads without prior approval of the municipal corporation in 2000, and since then, the security deposit has been made mandatory. Residents have welcomed the decision of the civic body.

“The Puja organisers spend lakhs towards pandal decoration, but most of them don’t repair the road after the festival is over. This security money will help the municipal corporation cover the expenses it has to incur for the repair,” said Seikh Bazar resident Ajay Kumar. He said the decision might force the Puja committees to initiate measures on their own.

“We have already paid the security money to the civic body. We have plans to set up a gigantic replica of the Akshardham temple and various other attractive gates,” said Khannagar Puja committee secretary Prafula Sahoo.