No visitors allowed inside Durga, Kali Puja pandals: Calcutta HC

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday said visitors will not be allowed to enter Durga Puja pandals and the premises will be treated as containment zones in view of the ongoing Covid pandemic. The same will be applicable for Kali Puja pandals too.

The court had issued similar directives last year as well and Friday's order is seen as a repetition of the previous one.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Kumar Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj made the observation while hearing a PIL filed to impose last year's restrictions during Durga Puja to contain the spread of the virus.

During the hearing of a PIL filed by Howrah resident Ajay Kumar Dey pleading to impose last year's restrictions during the Durga Puja to contain the spread of Coronavirus, the Bench said all the restrictions imposed by the court last year will remain the same.

Advocate General SN Mookherjee, who appeared for the state, submitted that the state government had no objections if the court imposes such restrictions during Durga Puja.

The court ordered barricades to be put up five-metre before the entrance for small pandals while for the bigger ones, the distance has to be 10 metre.

The distance will have to be measured from the place where the boundary of the Durga Puja pandal ends. The court's direction will be applicable for all the 34,000 mandaps in the state. There should be no entry boards at the barricades.

The court had also directed organisers to distribute masks and sanitisers to the visitors and engage in awareness campaigns.

The court allowed 'dhakis' (drummers), an integral part of the celebrations, to stay within the no-entry zones of the marquees but they will have to maintain all safety and hygiene protocols.

A maximum of 45 Puja organisers can be present inside the marquees at a time. The "list of persons allowed should be fixed on daily basis". These lists will be put up outside the pandals every day at 8 am.