CM inaugurates Jagadhatri Puja

Kolkata: The unity and peaceful coexistence of different communities is the strength of Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday.

She was inaugurating a Jagadhatri Puja at Posta, Burrabazar. The puja is organised by Posta Bazar Merchant Chamber of Commerce.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Shashi Panja, Minister of State for Women Development and Child Welfare, Smita Bakshi, local MLA, Malay Ghatak, state Law minister and Rajeev Kumar, Commissioner of Kolkata Police were also present at the function.

"We celebrate Durga Puja, Navaratri, Kali Puja, Dilwai, Christmas, Chhat Puja. This is Bengal and this is our tradition," she said. Banerjee said for generations, people from different communities have lived peacefully in Bengal. She said she comes to inaugurate the puja every year as "people from different communities assemble together to make the celebration a success." She maintained that Posta is eastern India's biggest market and is buzzing with economic activities. "There are businessmen, traders, merchants and even the labourers and all work together and this is the beauty of the area."

It may be recalled that following Banerjee's instruction, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) along with the traders of the area are working on a comprehensive plan for the development of the area. The massive traffic congestion which the area used to witness till recently has been sorted out after the city police introduced a traffic management scheme for the area.

The state Fire and Emergency Services department has set up a fire station after several incidents of fire were reported from the area. The water supply problem has also been resolved. There are a couple of old dilapidated buildings in the area and the KMC has taken up the matter with their owners.