This year things are set to be different during Durga Puja in West Bengal with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari making significant announcements. Alcohol will be banned at shops and commercial establishments on Ashtami, the eighth and most auspicious day of Durga Puja. Besides, no DJs will be allowed at puja pandals or during immersion processions to keep a check on law and order in the state.
The mega carnival procession post Dasami where prominent puja idols were paraded on Red Road is no longer part of Durga Puja celebrations this year. The other not so good news is, only smaller puja committees will get ₹1 lakh from the government after they put in an appeal at the local police station addressing it to the State Chief Secretary. The CM appealed to puja committees to avoid Durga Puja pandal themes which went against the cultural ethos of the festival.
"What the former chief minister was doing was not right. It started at Rs 25,000 and reached Rs 1.10 lakh. It did not help in elections. Many have become dependent on it," said Adhikari.
The CM was addressing committee members of prominent Durga Puja pandals across the state at the Milan Mela grounds in Kolkata. All committees were keenly awaiting announcements from the state, hoping that their spirits are not completely dampened. The good news was enough to keep their spirits high.
Puja committees can secure a fire safety licence and permission for electricity at zero cost. This is a positive step from the erstwhile Mamata Banerjee government’s regime where puja committees had to pay 25 per cent of the electricity bill. The committees also do not have to pay taxes to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for hoardings with advertisements. Earlier, when advertisers sponsor puja pandals, committees had to pay tax for the hoardings.
“We never took money from the government earlier for our puja pandal and limiting grants to smaller pandals is a good step. We are happy with the free electricity announcement. We never sent our puja idol for the carnival, so we are fine with the announcement,” said Manoj Kumar Shaw of the Mudiali Club Puja Pandal Committee.
Another announcement that won applause was ban on the use of cranes during idol immersion. “Doing away with using cranes during idol immersion is good. After worshipping Goddess Durga during the festival, using cranes to demolish the idol was not right,” said Dr Saptarshi Basu, general secretary, Ballygunge cultural puja committee.
While there will be no carnival, the CM said Durga Puja will be inaugurated in a big way at the Eden Gardens on Mahalaya, which signals the start of the festival. A four-hour event is planned with drone shows and 3D audio visuals elements used to depict Goddess Durga and the festival. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to join the inauguration.
In the past, Calcutta High Court had intervened, setting aside the Mamata government’s order to prevent idol immersion coinciding with Muharram. Adhikari said this time, the government has taken into account concerns of all stakeholders and there will be no need to approach the HC. Idol immersion will take place as per the slated dates without any restrictions. The CM also announced that permission will not be granted to block the 13 arterial roads.
