Jamshedpur, Oct. 6: Everything is official about this Durga Puja, barring the dress code.

Seraikela subdivisional officer Gundur Bhagat will perform the rituals in the traditional dhoti kurta because Seraikela is the only place in the country where the Durga Puja is sponsored by the state government. Being the representative of the government, the subdivisional officer performs the puja.

?He was feeling uncomfortable in dhoti last year,? sources said.

?This time I have practised being comfortable in dhoti kurta. I have even started wearing the dhoti at home,? Bhagat said.

Preparations for the puja have already started. The subdivisional officer had convened a meeting yesterday with the puja committee.

In the meeting held at the chamber of the subdivisional officer, the puja committee members decided to celebrate the occasion in a grand manner, but the budget is a meagre Rs 15,000.

The meeting started at 4 pm, but most of the officials found it inconvenient to attend.

?The meeting was held during the office hours. We, therefore, could not attend it,? said one of the members, a government official.

According to some members, sharing views and taking part in puja committee meetings give a sense of satisfaction.

Advocate Bishwanath Rath feels raising fund for the puja or making preparations is fun and fosters a spirit of kinship.

?We do not organise cultural programmes like theatres or musical nights. Both Seraikela king and the Centre stress on a traditional puja,? he said.

To tide over the fund shortfall, members of the puja committee approached chief minister Arjun Munda a few months ago. ?I do not know whether the chief minister Arjun Munda will give us more money,? Rath said.

Another member, on condition of anonymity, said the government puja is a major attraction for the local people.

The sub-divisional officer, also the secretary of the puja committee, said he would act according to the members? suggestion.

?I want to make the Durga Puja a grand success. I am the subdivisional officer and it is my responsibility to see that everything is in order,? said Gundur Bhagat. However, whether the government-sponsored puja should be an elaborate or a simple affair will be decided by the bigwigs in Ranchi.