CUTTACK: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) is scouting for land to construct kalyan mandaps to cater to the rising demand for affordable venues for holding social functions, particularly marriages, in the city.The municipal corporation runs just two kalyan mandaps on single premises.There are another 60-odd private kalyan mandaps in the city, which has a population of over 6 lakh.The civic body plans to spend around Rs 5 crore to construct at least four kalyan mandaps under Special Projects at Jobra, Bidyadharpur and two others in Sector 9 and 11 of Markatnagar."Process is on for identifying lands for taking up the kalyan mandap projects. They will be completed within a year," said additional commissioner, CMC, Suman Behera.There has been an acute shortage of venues for marriages and social functions in the city ever since the civic body enforced a new rule for granting licence for running a kalyan mandap a couple of years ago.In the process, licence was granted only to 60-odd facilities of the 187 kalyan mandaps operating in the Cuttack corporation area."More kalyan mandaps has become a necessity as it is very difficult to get a venue for a wedding ceremony if it is not booked six months in advance and sometimes even close to one year in case of the big ones," said Ashok Mohanty, a resident of Kalyani Nagar."There is also an urgent need for reasonably-priced venues for social functions in the city," said Chitta Mohanty, a resident of sector 11 in Markatnagar.The civic body charges Rs 10,000 per day along with 10% service tax on reservation charge (Rs 10,000) and 3% cess on service tax for each of its two kalyan mandaps at Choudhury Bazaar.

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