No more VIP passes for pandal-hoppers

Kolkata: The state government has proposed "club invitee" cards instead of "VIP passes" for the pandal hoppers in the ensuing Durga Puja. The "club invitee" cards would be meant for the physically challenged, senior citizens and people of the locality or the club members.

It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a meeting with the Puja committees last Friday at Netaji Indoor Stadium had appealed to the latter to do away with the practice of issuing VIP passes.

According to sources, several Puja committees had approached the state government for an alternative card wherein the physically challenged and senior citizens can enter the puja pandals with ease. They had claimed that people of the locality or the club members should at least get some concession.

Following this, the government has proposed the Puja committees to come up with "club invitee" cards and include these sections under it.

"There should be a separate gate named 'Members Gate' through which the physically challenged and senior citizens or the club members will be allowed entry," a member for Forum for Durgotsav said.

Addressing an administrative and coordination meeting with the Puja Committees at Netaji Indoor Stadium Banerjee had said the practice of issuing VIP passes should not be welcomed. "If anyone wants to visit a pandal he/she may enter the Puja pandal along with others after queuing up properly," she had said. Banerjee had asked state Fire and Emergency Services minister Sujit Bose, Mayor Firhad Hakim and state PWD minister Aroop Biswas not to distribute VIP passes in their areas. Bose is associated with Sreebhumi club in Lake Town, Hakim with Chetla Agrani while Biswas is associated with Suruchi Sangha in New Alipore which are huge crowd-pullers.