The auction for plots at Bali Yatra ground registered by different traders and vendors began on Saturday.
The auction will continue at 10 places across Cuttack town till November 15. Administrative officials have reportedly been trained to conduct the auction process flawlessly.
The payments after auction will be made through online mode for transparency, informed the district administration.
The historic eight-day fair, scheduled to start from November 27, will be held on an area spanning 129 acres on the banks of Mahanadi river in Cuttack.
While ORMAS has been allotted 400 stalls at the fair, other traders will be provided a total of 1500 stalls to do business.
Interested traders have been divided into two categories; premium patrons and gold patrons. While 5,000 sq ft to 10,000 sq ft has been fixed for premium patrons, the space measuring 1,000 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft will be allotted to gold patrons.
Registration for land allotment to the businessmen continued from November 4-10. A minimum amount of Rs 50 was fixed per sq ft of space leased out to businessmen. Similarly, the traders paid Rs 500 per sq ft of space to be leased out.
Makeshift and other such business owners have registered by paying Rs 1,000. For swings and other play spaces, the minimum registration fee has been fixed at Rs 25,000.
Notably, a tunnel aquarium is going to be the main attraction of this year’s Bali Yatra. An owner of joyrides said that for the first time, he is bringing a tunnel aquarium to the state.
Bali Yatra is held annually in Cuttack to commemorate the glorious tradition of seafaring activities of ancient Odia traders.