Jamshedpur : The guidelines issued by the district administration to the licensed durga puja samities for ensuring safe and peaceful conduct of the week-long Dusshera celebrations will be applicable on the non-licensed puja samities, also.
The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held at SNTI Auditorium on Friday that was attended by the volunteers of the Central Durga Puja Committee (CDPC) and was chaired by the senior authorities of the district administration.
�The non-licensed puja samities will have to abide by the pandal safety norms, traffic control measures, and safe electricity guidelines (among others) that are otherwise mandatory for the licensed samities,� said CDPC General Secretary, Rambabu Sngh. There are about 250 licensed and 50 non-licensed puja samities in the city.
Thus far, non-licensed puja samities, which are basically community pujas organized in colonies, were apparently free from the administrative control but owing to its growing number the administration has decided to make them fall in line.
�Even without the administration�s directive several of the non-licensed puja samities have been adhering to the safety guidelines that are otherwise mandatory on the licensed committees so therefore nothing much to worry for,� said a volunteer of a community durga puja organizing samiti in Bistupur.
Several puja samiti representatives raised the issue of irregular water and power supply and dismal road condition following which the authorities assured them of addressing all such issues before the start of the pujas.
In the light of the reports of forcible chanda collection by few puja samities the senior police authorities made it clear to the CDPC members that such incidents won�t be tolerated at any cost.
�Police will not hesitate to take action against such puja committees (found guilty of forcible chanda collection),� said the senior police superintendent, Richard Lakra at the meeting.
Deputy Commissioner, Dr Amitabh Kaushal, SDO, Dhalbhum, Prem Ranjan and SSP, Lakra among the senior authorities present at the meeting.