Will artisans make Ravan effigies after Dusshera, HC to authorities

NEW DELHI: Will artisans make Ravana effigies after Dusshera, an annoyed Delhi High Court has asked the AAP government and municipal corporations which are yet to identify temporary sites to be allotted to them. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar directed the South Delhi Municipal Corporation Deputy Commissioner to appear before it on Monday. The court said it was "absolutely appalling" that the situation was the same even after one year of the pendency of the matter relating to destruction and confiscation of several Ravana effigies by the SDMC for allegedly encroaching upon public land. "It is absolutely shocking that after one year, we are where we were earlier. It is absolutely appalling that despite pendency of this plea for one year, SDMC is not able to frame policy and allot land to artisans for making effigies, idols for Durga Puja and Ganesh Chaturthi. They have procured material to make idols & effigies," the bench said.

The authorities' submission that the process of identifying temporary sites and notifying locations is in process did not go well with the bench which questioned them for not doing this work yet.

"When will they make Ravana effigies? After Dusshera? Somebody make Ravana, somebody make idols for Durga Puja. Go and allot them the land," the court said. The AAP government had earlier told the court that a draft policy has been framed and approved to provide temporary site to artisans who come to Delhi to make and sell idols or effigies for Durga Puja, Dusshera and other festivals.