Decisions after meetings with Sharadwat Mukherjee
The state authorities have told puja committees to prioritise residents’ access and that nothing should block the way to and from their homes. Residents would not need special passes; if at all, they could show their voter’s ID or Aadhaar card or any govt-recognised ID document, showing their addresses, for free movement, said an official. Easy access to pandals by all also remains equally important this time with puja committees being told to build proper ramps and access points for elderly people and persons with disabilities. “No VVIP culture at Durga Puja pandals in my constituency,” Mukherjee said.
Kolkata: Curbing noise pollution, improving accessibility, ensuring smoother movement for residents as well as pandal-hoppers and ending VVIP culture: A series of citizen-centric measures is set to change the festive experience at major Durga Puja pandals in the Bidhannagar constituency. The committees have to create or earmark at least a four-ft-wide pedestrians’ lane for them. “If at all, the elderly and those with disabilities will be treated as VVIPs. We are organising pandal-hopping for children with disabilities.”
“These are not directives but decisions taken after talks with major puja committees and other stakeholders, including police,” Mukherjee said. Atin Ghosh, a key member in his team, said, “We are trying to implement the best practices with an attempt to make it easy for both pandal-hoppers and residents. ” Major crowd-pullers, such as Shreebhumi, Dum Dum Park pujas and some pandals in Salt Lake, are expected to lead the way by implementing these measures.