High Court urges quick decision on 112-feet Durga idol permit

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the District Magistrate (DM) of Nadia to make a decision within 24 hours on the permission for a 112-foot-tall Durga idol being constructed by Kamalpur Abhijan Sangha in Ranaghat, Nadia. The decision must be communicated to the Puja organisers by 2 pm on Thursday.

The Puja committee, which has been organising Durga Puja for 55 years, decided to build a 112-foot-tall Durga idol this year. However, recently, the construction was halted by the police citing the lack of permission, prompting the organisers to appeal to the HC.

On Wednesday the Single Bench Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya heard the matter. During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, argued that no objections had been raised in previous years.

This year, the Puja committee applied for necessary permission from the District Magistrate on September 3 but received no response. They secured approvals from various authorities, including the electricity and fire departments, and paid all fees. Bhattacharya claimed a UNESCO team is set to visit the Puja, stating: “This will be an international slur.”

The State’s counsel raised safety concerns about the 14-foot-wide road leading to the pandal, recalling a 2015 stampede incident. Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya instructed the District Magistrate of Nadia to decide on the application by Thursday afternoon, with the regular bench hearing scheduled for the same day.