Cuttack: Senior BJD leader and former Banki MLA Prabhat Tripathy on Friday lambasted district administration indirectly over the Naveen Vandana at Bali Yatra, saying that a cultural and historic fair should not be politicized.
“Neither our party nor leader want politicisiation of Bali Yatra. Political campaigning on the stage of Bali Yatra is not acceptable. The way the Bali Yatra Pathotsav was politicized is not a good practice,” Tripathy told newsmen.
He also came down heavily on the district administration alleging massive irregularities in the biggest and oldest cultural and commercial extravaganza. Tripathy alleged irregularities in land allotment and fixation of prices. The district administration had taken every decision arbitrarily, he said.
Neither people’s representative nor public have been taken into confidence during plot allotment, price finalization and organization of cultural programmes.
Only the big traders were able to purchase land and common vendors were deprived of their business due to sudden hike in the price of plot, he alleged.
The arbitrary decision of the administration has destroyed the rich repute of the historic fair, he said, demanding a special audit on the income and expenditure of the event.
The former legislator also demanded the Bali Yatra should be organized under the direct supervision of State government.
