Mamata set to meet Durga Puja organisers on Tuesday
The Statesman | 23 July 2024
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will meet Durga Committee organizers at the Netaji Indoor Stadium tomorrow.
There are 43,000 Durga Puja organizers across the state and the state government had given Rs 70,000 to each Durga Puja committee last year.
Besides the chief minister and her cabinet colleagues, the state chief secretary, home secretary, commissioner of police and director general of police will attend the meeting. Senior officials of the fire and emergency services department, Kolkata Municipal Corporation will attend the meeting.
In a bid to save Ganga from pollution, the idol structures are immediately lifted after immersion. The ghats, where immersions are done are illuminated and the KMC provides facilities needed for smooth immersion.
Durga Puja has received the Intangible Heritage Tag by UNESCO. Over the past few years, the state government has organized the Puja Carnival both in Kolkata and districts where the best Puja organizers take part in a procession on the way to immersing the idol in river Hooghly.
The carnival on Red Road is a unique event where the Durga Puja clubs present cultural shows on Red Road while accompanying the idol. Representatives from different high commissions, dignitaries, businessmen are invited to attend the carnival. Many foreign tourists come to the city during the Durga Puja and to attend the carnival, a colourful event.
The carnival in the districts has become popular and business worth Rs 1,000 crore took place during the Pujas last year. Most of the community Pujas follow a theme and artists give expression to the themes along with their teams. Most of the team members are budding artists studying in various art colleges.
Miss Banerjee will hold the meeting tomorrow to ensure smooth and trouble-free Durga Puja. Adequate policemen are deployed to maintain law and order and traffic. Miss Banerjee has said over and again not to fall into the trap of those who are trying to disturb society.
Like every year, the chief minister will also inaugurate some important Pujas in the city and will inaugurate some Pujas in the districts virtually.