Durga puja pandals will be no-entry zones for visitors, the Calcutta High Court said on Monday.
Kolkata / New Delhi:
The top 400 Durga Puja organizers in Kolkata will today petition the Calcutta High Court to review their order declaring puja pandals as “no entry zones” for visitors due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Organizers will approach the pitch as part of the Durgotsav Forum, a coordinating body of Durga Puja organizers, with only two days left for Bengal’s largest festival.
Yesterday, the Supreme Court said that only organizers could enter the pandals; 25 for larger Bids and 15 for smaller ones. The names of the organizers would have to be posted on a billboard every day and could not be changed, the court said.
The court also asked organizers to barricade outside the pandals, five meters from the entrance for smaller celebrations and twice for larger ones.
The Durgotsav Forum had expressed surprise at the order.
“This is a big setback for us. For four months, we have been working to make things safe for visitors. We had made masks mandatory, sanitizing doors were in place, we bought machines for thermal detection Our exit doors were bigger than the entrance But now … the rule about barricades 10 meters before the pandal, how will the crowd disperse? There will be more chaos, “said Saswat Bose, the head of the forum, on Monday.
Last month, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced plans to “lock in the coronavirus and hold the bidding this year,” implying that rival BJP would try to blame her if the festival was canceled and even if there was a virus spike afterward. of the Puja. . It had also announced a 50,000 rupee grant for Durga puja committees in the state.
“We will surely organize the Durga Puja this year. We have to avoid the crowds at any cost because the vultures are out there to blame us if we do not allow the puja or if any spike occurs after the puja. They have no responsibility,” said the Minister. Principal, without naming the BJP.
After the court order, Mamata Banerjee met with the administration to decide the next step.
In the run-up to Durga Puja celebrations in Bengal, the growing crowd on the shopping streets, failing to observe precautions such as distancing themselves or masks, has raised fears about a second wave of coronavirus in the state. Medical experts and epidemiologists have raised red flags about an exponential increase in virus cases after the Puja.
Bengal has reported more than 3.2 lakh of COVID-19 cases and more than 6,000 deaths so far.
“Life has not been normal for the human species since March 2020 and it could have been better if restrictions had been put in place on how the Durga Puja festivities would be celebrated this year,” the High Court noted.
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