Bazi Bazar at Circus Maidan in Sinthi from Nov 1

Kolkata: The Bazi Bazar this year will be held at Circus Maidan in Sinthi in North Kolkata.

The venue for the Bazar where permissible firecrackers are sold for celebrating Kali Puja and the Diwali was finalised at a meeting in Nabanna in presence of state Chief Secretary and Home Secretary.

Babla Roy, Chairman of Sara Bangla Atasbazi Unnayan Samity said that the Bazar will open up for customers from November 1 while the process of setting up stalls in the field will kick off from October 26.

"The concerned Police Commissioners and District Magistrates have been asked to start issuing fire and police licences to the traders at an earliest which is pending for long," Roy said.

Last year the Bazi Bazar was held at Sahid Minar Maidan in Esplanade with 30 stalls being set up. "We expect that there will be more stalls this year. But we will work as per COVID protocols," a representative from the Samity said.

The Sahid Minar Grounds is under the Defence Ministry and the Samity has to cough up around Rs 12 lakhs for the venue.

"The COVID situation in the country has hit the firecracker industry badly. So we have chosen an alternative venue this year. We have appealed to the state government for waiver of fees for the venue of the Bazar," Roy said.