This Puja, brace for Iilish-Chingri Lorai

Kolkata: The State Fisheries Development Corporation (SFDC) will highlight the theme of Under-17 World Cup in a grand way through its stalls at various pandals during the Durga Puja.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wants all her departments to brand the U-17 Football World Cup in the best possible way they can. She had said that the event will be going to be one of the biggest festivals of football ever seen in Kolkata. "We are hosting the Under-17 World Cup and as many as 10 matches will be played here. So, we have gone forward with this idea as football fever has already started gripping the city," a senior SFDC official said.

The SFDC will have two separate sections of the stall one titled Ilish (hilsha) and the other Chingri (prawn). Hilsha is associated with East Bengal while prawn is connected with Mohun Bagan and the battle of the two is termed as Ilish-Chingrir Lorai. As a soccer team has 11 players, there will be 11 items prepared from each of the fish.

Ilish Polao, Ilish Paturi, Ilish Bhapa, Ilish Chop, Sorshe Ilish will be pitted against Chingrir Malaikari, Dab Chingri, Chingri Bhapa, Potol Chingri, Lau Chingri etc. "We have already received confirmation from eight puja committees for setting up stalls that includes Kumartuli Park, Santosh Mitra Square, Hazra Park etc," Soumyajit Das, SFDC managing director said.

The other food items like Bhaat, Dal, Aloo Bhaja, Chutney, Papad and fish items ranging from pabda, bhetki, tangra etc will also be served in the platter.

Interestingly, SFDC has roped in a number of sex workers to work in the stalls that will be set up during the Pujas.

SFDC sources said that in association with the Durbar Mahila Samannay Samiti, an organisation of sex workers, SFDC has identified as many as 30 sex workers who will be offered a week's training so that they are ready for the job.

There are a number of sex workers in the city who are now desperately trying to shift from flesh trade and be self-reliant. The state government is working upon a number of schemes for making women self-reliant. This is a small step towards this. We will also pay them some stipend and with our stalls increasing by leaps and bounds, we may engage them accordingly," an SFDC official said.

The All Fish Restaurant of SFDC at Nalban Food Park will also have special fish items during the Puja days.