Committee members to deliver ‘Bhog’ packets at devotees’ homes
Jamshedpur: Respecting the sentiments of devotees, the district administration has allowed the Jamshedpur Durga Puja Committees to distribute Bhog through home delivery.
The administration on Tuesday said that the committees can home deliver Bhog but only under strict Covid-19 protocols. The move comes following rising demand from several social and religious seeking approvals for distribution of bhog.
Addressing a press meet over the preparations for the mega festival, DC Suraj Kumar said that the focus of this year’s Durga Puja continues to be on precautionary norms.
He said that the State government has said that no community event or gathering of crowd in or around the pandal should be done for distribution of bhog. The same can be done through home delivery.
Kumar said that all the puja committees have been directed to have volunteers above 18 years of age. A person who has taken the first dose of the Covid vaccine can be made a volunteer.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the threat of corona is not over and we still need to be on alert mode. In such a situation, there is an appeal to the people of the district to celebrate the festival keeping in view the health security of their family and society.
Kumar gave instructions to Durga Puja Committees to follow the guidelines of the State Government. He asked people to avoid crowding at pandals and celebrate the festival by following Covid-19 norms
“We are in touch with puja committees to ensure that no fairs are organised. We want people not to assemble in groups. They must wear masks and use sanitizers and follow social distancing norms,” said another official. He said that if this mega festival passes off safely, the Covid-19 situation will be under control.
The DC said the police personnel will be deputed in large numbers to keep an eye on trouble mongers. Magistrates will be deputed at various places to make sure that peace is kept round the clock. He said that the festival is for the rituals and common people must stay indoors.
“It is safety first for all the Durga Puja committees in the city. We have decided to constitute a 42-member committee that will visit all the puja pandals to check whether safety guidelines are being followed or not. The main objective of puja this year will be to make people alert and conscious about the deadly virus,” said a senior functionary of Jamshedpur Kendriya Durga Puja Samiti. He further added that all puja committees are focussed on avoiding overcrowding and following all health and safety norms.
During the meeting it was instructed that the weapons needed to beat COVID-19—sanitisers, thermal guns and medicines must be in place at the 320 puja pandals that are being constructed.
