October 01
Calcutta High Court denies visitors to Puja Pandals
Calcutta High Court said, Puja pandals will have to be treated as ‘containment zones’ and visitors will not be allowed to enter inside them.
High Court passed an order on a PIL filed by Ajay Kumar Dey, pledging to impose last year’s restrictions during the Durga Puja to contain the spread of Covid-19.
On the other side, West Bengal Government said, “In view of the ensuing festive period the said restriction relating to movement of people and vehicles between 11pm and 5am is relaxed during 10th October 2021 to 20th October 2021′.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Bindal said, the visitors will not be allowed inside the Durga Puja pandals in West Bengal this year as well.
Last year the division bench, hearing a public interest litigation said that, no visitors would be allowed to enter the marquees.
For small pandals, barricades will have to be put up five metres from the entrance and bigger ones, the distance has to be 10 metres, the court had ordered.
The court also had ordered that only 15 to 25 persons belonging to the organising committees will be allowed to enter the pandals.
This year all these restrictions will remain active during the Durga Puja and Kali Puja celebration.
