CM to inaugurate Pujas in virtual mode from Oct 15 -17

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the community Durga Pujas' virtually from October 15 to October 17 in view of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On October 15, she will virtually inaugurate the Durga pujas in north Kolkata while on October 16 and October 17 she will be opening the pujas of Behala— Jadavpur and South Kolkata. "We have to protect ourselves and if I go to the venues to open the Puja, there will be crowd which under the present situation should be avoided," she said. The organisers will lit a lamp at the respective pandals and she will light lamps at Nabanna. "Ensure that they can see the inauguration properly and I can see them also," said the Chief Minister.

She was addressing the press at Nabanna on Monday.

She urged the Puja committees to ensure that those who will visit the pandals must wear masks and the volunteers should take all precautions. She asked them to provide masks to those who may forget to wear it. Many puja organisers have curtailed the budget and are spending money on social service, she remarked. Later Banerjee went to Chetla Agrani, the Puja organised by the state Urban Development and Municipal Affairs minister Firhad Hakim and drew the eyes of Maa Durga.

She inaugurated the annual number of 'Jago Bangla', the mouth piece of Trinamool Congress at a function at Nazrul Mancha.

She has made the cover where Maa Durga wearing a mask is protecting Ganesh from COVID-19. She has penned seven songs and composed them. Veteran party leaders including Subrata Bakshi, Partha Chatterjee, Firhad Hakim, Aroop Biswas,

Chandrima Bhattacharya, Shashi Panja, Mala Roy, Santanu Sen and Indranil Sen

were present.