Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday chaired a high-level review meeting at Nabanna ahead of the Gangasagar Mela in January 2026 and issued a clear directive to ministers and officials that no form of “VIP culture” would be tolerated at the Mela.
She stressed that ordinary pilgrims must not be inconvenienced or made to wait for hours due to the movement of red-beacon vehicles or preferential treatment for VIPs. Emphasising that the Gangasagar Mela belongs to the common people, Banerjee said ensuring the comfort and safety of pilgrims would be the government’s top priority.
With crowd management posing a major challenge, the Chief Minister called for greater use of technology for security and crowd control. Drones and CCTV cameras will be deployed across the mela grounds, Kapil Muni Ashram and bathing ghats. In addition to police and administrative personnel, around 3,500 Civil Defence volunteers will be engaged.
The volunteers will be specially trained and deployed to guide pilgrims from transit points to the Sagar temple and beach. Pilgrims will also be provided special ID cards and wristbands to ensure quick assistance in case of separation or emergencies.
According to Nabanna sources, all pilgrims will be covered under an insurance scheme, with financial assistance assured in case of accidents during travel or within the mela premises.
The Transport Department has also made extensive arrangements. Nearly 2,500 buses will be deployed, while 250 launches and 21 jetties will operate for water transport. Banerjee directed that dredging in the Muriganga and surrounding waterways be completed at the earliest.
To avoid lapses in management, senior ministers have been assigned specific responsibilities.
From January 12, ministers will take charge of designated locations. On-site supervision will be handled by Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas, Sujit Bose, Becharam Manna, Pulak Roy, Snehasis Chakraborty and Manas Bhuiyan, while Chandrima Bhattacharya and Bratya Basu will coordinate from Kolkata.
Banerjee also flagged coastal security concerns, particularly the safety of fishermen, and asked police to address incidents of fishermen straying into Bangladeshi waters and to step up awareness efforts.
She underlined the need for strong inter-departmental coordination and is expected to visit Gangasagar soon to review preparations.