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Samiti president Tarachand Mohanty at the meeting on Sunday. Picture by Bhola Prasad
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The apex body co-ordinating Durga Puja committees in the steel city on Sunday called for a hassle-free and low-budget edition, with little over a month to go for the annual festival this year.
Jamshedpur Durga Puja Kendriya Samiti, at its general body meeting, requested the committees to ensure celebrations without traffic problems, incidents of eve-teasing and blaring loudspeakers, besides proper care during the immersion ritual.
Three first-timers at Sonari, Mango and Devnagar will add to the existing 285 puja committees this year.
All the core committee members and Puja organisers from across the city and its outskirts discussed problems pertaining to the four-day festival, ranging from power supply and poor road connectivity to preparations.
The samiti asked the committees to cut down on ostentation and stay away from forcing traders and residents to make donations. The committees were also asked to be prepared to combat any emergencies, including fire.
“We have requested the organisers to opt for a simpler Puja and avoid for forced donation. There had been complaints in 2010, but we requested them to avoid pressuring people. We understand that with inflation, costs have gone up and the bhog coupons will also become costlier. But collecting money forcibly is not a solution. It presents a bad image of what is inherently religious,” said Rambabu Singh, the general secretary of the samiti.
Similar to last year, the samiti asked the committees to only play devotional songs at a moderate volume. Loudspeakers must be stopped after 10pm, according to the district administration’s guidelines.
The samiti will hold seven zonal meetings with the district administration on Puja preparations next month.
“We will ask Jusco for cranes to lift heavy idols for immersion. Cleanliness of the ghat is also on the list, which we will request Jusco and JNAC to take care of,” said P.S. Mathur, assistant secretary of the samiti.
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