The state government is keen on using the Men’s Hockey World Cup here to extensively promote the tourism potential of Bali yatra.

The state government has planned four-day-long city festivals in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack with the tourism, culture and heritage components focusing on generating public interest for the world cup set to start in Bhubaneswar on November 28.

For centuries, the Bali yatra has been a week-long fair at the Killa Maidan near the Gadgadia Shiv Temple on the Mahanadi banks from the Kartika Purnima day. The government had extended the annual fair to the Talapadia (on the dried-up Mahanadi river bed) in 1996.

The district administration has decided to dovetail the city festival planned for Cuttack with Bali yatra that starts on November 23. Collector Arvind Agarwal was not available for comments despite repeated efforts.

Deputy collector Pravod Rout told The Telegraph that the four-day city festival would be merged with Bali yatra and continue till December 3 instead of November 29. “As a result, Bali yatra which is customarily a week-long fair will practically become an eleven-day affair for the people,” Rout said.

He said the effort given to conduct Bali yatra, including the venue, allotment of kiosks and pavilions, security and flow of visitors, would be handy for organising the city festival.

Over a thousand-odd pavilions and kiosks (mostly eateries) come up for the Bali yatra every year. Land is allotted over an area spread over 40 acres both at Uparapadia and Talapadia.

The process of land allotment is scheduled to start from Monday. Tehsil officials said plots would be allotted at Talapadia, adhering to the norms fixed by the by the National Green Tribunal.

While allowing Bali yatra to be held at Talapadia last year, the green body had ordered for restricting the borders of the annual fair to a 50 metres distance from the river water, an official said.