Bhubaneswar: Expressing serious concern over the obscene dances at Jatra shows, the State government has been preparing guidelines to curb such dance shows, Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj told the Assembly today.
In a written reply to a question of Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, the Minister said the state government has been thinking seriously to clamp down on obscene dance shows by jatra parties. Guidelines are being prepared for this purpose, he said.
Last year, the previous BJD government had issued a direction to all District Magistrates and SPs to prohibit obscene dances and dialogues with ‘double meaning’ that are part of jatra and melody programmes.
Despite the instruction, the “vulgar dance” shows allegedly continued in the Jatra shows to increase footfall to their shows.
In October this year, audiences threw chairs at item dancer Nisha Maharana for performing an ‘obscene’ dance during a jatra show in Jajpur district. There has been demand to prohibit such vulgar shows during jatra shows.