Durga Puja Pandals In State To Be No-Entry Zones For Visitors: Calcutta High Court Reiterates Previous Directions

The Calcutta High Court on Friday reiterated its previous directions and ordered that all pandals where Durga Puja is being celebrated this year, shall be made no-entry zones for members of the public in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. 

A Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj was adjudicating upon a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the seeking the Court's leave to direct the State authorities to ensure that proper arrangements are made so that there is no large gatherings at Puja pandals across the city. The petitioner had also contended that the Court must impose similar restrictions as last year to contain the spread of Covid.

Advocate General S.N. Mookherjee apprised the Court on Friday that even for this year the guidelines issued by the Court last year would be adhered to by the concerned State authorities. 

Accordingly, the Bench recorded in its order, 

"The learned Advocate General submitted that he has sought instruction from the competent authority to state that even for this year the guidelines issued by this Court in the aforesaid orders dated October 19, 2020 and October 21, 2020 passed in WPA 8520 of 2020 shall be followed by the authorities concerned. In view of the aforesaid fair stand taken by the learned Advocate General, the present petition and the connected application are disposed of in terms of the aforesaid orders."

Last year, the Court vide its order dated October 19, 2020 had issued extensive guidelines in order to ensure maintenance of Covid protocol during the festivities. The Court had stated earlier that if pandals are made no-entry zones and a certain distance from all sides of the pandals are covered as a part of the no-entry zone, the public at large would be aware that there wouldn't be any access within the pandals or even close to the same and the affinity to take to the streets may be less.

Directions Issued Last Year 

• In public interest, all pandals where at Durga Puja is being celebrated this year are made no-entry zones for members of the public. Further, for the smaller pandals, a five-metre zone beyond the extremities of the pandals on all sides and, for the larger pandals, a 10-metre zone beyond the extremities of the pandal on all sides will be a part of the no-entry zone.

• The only exception would be for the named personnel, including the priest, who will be identified by the puja organisers in advance and whose names would be displayed for checks to be made at any point of time. At the smaller pandals 15 persons will be named in the list who may have access to the no-entry zone at all times. The number will be 25 to 30 in respect of the bigger to the biggest pandals.

• These directions will apply to all public puja pandals all over the State, including the 34,000 pujas which have obtained grants from the State.

• It will be open to the local police administration to identify which of the pandals will be regarded as small pandals for the restricted zone to be a distance of 5m beyond the furthest extremities of the pandals on all sides.

• Similarly, the local police authorities will identify which of the bigger puja pandals will require a 10m distance from the extremities of the pandals on all sides for the same to operate as a no-entry zone.

• It is necessary, particularly in small towns across the State, for an awareness campaign to be conducted even by the local media at such places to request people to maintain the distancing norm in the present COVID times and not to descend on the streets in hoards as in regular years to celebrate the Durga Puja festival.

Importantly, the Court had said, "The court hopes that the message is spread by the police and the executive authority all over the State to make people aware that it is in their interest that a degree of self-restraint must be exercised all around. The State and the police authorities will take immediate appropriate steps to give complete effect to this order."

Case Title: Ajay Kumar De v. State of West Bengal

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