Jamshedpur: Jamshedpur Durga Puja Kendriya Samiti (JDPKS), the apex body that monitors the festival here will host 315 Durga Pujas this year, two more than last year. The two new community pujas will be held at Telco and Mango.
Ram Babu Singh, general secretary of Jamshedpur Durga Puja Kendriya Samiti (JDPKS), said they have got applications from the committee of the two new pujas. ” The annual general meeting slated on August 25 will give its approval to both the applications,” he said.
The samiti senior functionaries, including Singh, president C N Banerjee and vice-president Ashutosh Singh, appealed to the members of various committees present at a meeting to ensure hassle -free festivities scheduled in the first week of October.
The apex unit of puja organisers also asked the committee members to keep the celebrations as simple as possible.
” We will ask for light weight idols, simple pandals are some of the focus areas. Like every year, we have appealed to puja committees to focus on eco-friendly practices,” said Singh.
During the meeting which lasted for over two hours this aftenoon, various issues like ban on forceful donations, playing only religious songs during the five days of festivities at the pandals, providing separate entry and exit for men and women at the venues and safety and security measures were discussed
The president said that it would be better if preparations for the festive season begins early this would help to ensure efficient management. During the meeting, the members discussed about the problems concerned with cleanliness of the ghats, electricity and other issues.
Meanwhile all the members have been asked to be present in the upcoming meeting and come up with the suggestions to ensure safe festive season.
�Like every season we would take up the issue of cleaning and developing the Subernarekha ghats with the district administration so that the immersion of the idols is held in a clean environment,� he noted.
It may be mentioned that Jamshedpur Kendriya Durga Puja Samiti is the apex body of Durga puja and governs the organising of puja festival in city. There are over 300 small and big puja committees that are members of JDKPS.
�The organisers of puja pandals would also be directed to ensure that they use idols made of non-toxic colour only. From last few years we are working hard to stop water pollution during immersion of idols. This year too we would strictly implement the guidelines,� said
another member of the samiti.