West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari said he will visit the families of the deceased on October 20 and October 21 to offer condolences and hand over compensation cheques of Rs 25 lakh“I will try to connect with as many families of our state as possible on those two days,” he said.
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New Delhi: A wave of sorrow has swept across Maharashtra following the stampede at Kolkata’s Chorbagan Durga Puja pandalHowever, the tragedy has not dampened people’s enthusiasmOn Sunday, the second day of Saptami, crowds continued to throng the city’s Durga Puja pandalsThe difference, however, was that this time, caution accompanied the festive spirit.
People were gauging the movement of crowds before proceeding, taking extra care of children and the elderly, and trying to avoid routes that were particularly crowdedThe Chorbagan incident has changed the way people are visiting pandalsOn Sunday evening, visitors were seen advising one another to walk carefullyAs crowds swelled, many preferred to wait for a while or take an alternative route.
Bengal CM hints at scrapping VIP gates at Durga Puja pandals
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said the government may scrap VIP gates at Durga puja pandals and stressed the need for clear entry and exit provisions following a stampede here that claimed several lives.
Puja organisers, especially the more popular and high-budget ones, often provide special access to pandal hoppers through VIP gates at a price during peak footfall hours.
A night after 19 people died and 25 were injured in the stampede at Chorbagan Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata following a crowd surge amid rain, Adhikari said a toned-down Bijoya Sammelani (traditional post-puja cultural reunion) will be held with the puja committees of Kolkata and its suburbs on October 26.
Experiences of this year will be exchanged, and steps will be discussed that can be taken to avoid recurrence of such tragedies, he told reporters at the state police headquarters here.
The chief minister said cheques of Rs 5 lakh would be handed over to each of those injured in the stampede at the ceremony as compensation.
“A special team was formed immediately after Saturday’s incidentThe team has been constituted under the leadership of the state disaster management department secretary, Fire Services DG Anuj Sharma, and Special Task Force ADG Javed Shamim,” Adhikari said.
Major Pandals Step Up Security
Visitors continued to flock to Kolkata’s prominent Durga Puja pandals on SundaySecurity arrangements have been significantly strengthened at popular venues, including Sreebhumi Sporting Club, Ekdalia Evergreen, Suruchi Sangha, Singhi Park, Hindustan Park, Santosh Mitra Square, Chetla Agrani, Mohammed Ali Park, Dum Dum Park, Dum Dum Tarun Dal, Bagbazar and Bosepukur Sitala Mandir, among others.
Malay De, joint secretary of Dum Dum Park Sarbojanin, said, “The administration has tripled the number of police personnel deployed at our pandalEarlier, 40 police personnel were stationed hereWe have also increased the number of our volunteersWe are monitoring the premises through 20 closed-circuit television (CCTV) camerasAll office-bearers and members of the Puja committee are also extremely vigilant and keeping a close eye on every activityVisitors are being requested over loudspeakers to maintain discipline.”
The police have also made special arrangements to manage crowdsThe focus is on monitoring entry and exit routes at pandals, keeping track of crowd pressure and regulating the movement of visitors whenever necessary.
