Kolkata Police has announced a series of traffic restrictions across the city in connection with Ram Navami celebrations scheduled for March 26 and 27.
According to an official notification issued on March 25, Commissioner of Police Ajay Nand said that movement of all goods vehicles within Kolkata will be restricted from 12pm to midnight on March 26, and from 6am to 8pm on March 27.
However, essential services have been exempted from the curbs. These include vehicles carrying LPG cylinders, CNG, petroleum products, oxygen, milk, medicines, vegetables, fish and fruits.
Police said vehicular traffic along procession routes will be regulated, restricted or diverted as required by traffic personnel on duty during the two days. Diversions may also be enforced on arterial and feeder roads depending on the situation on the ground.
These measures will be in addition to existing traffic restrictions in the city, the notification said. The order has been issued under relevant provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, the Calcutta Police Act and the West Bengal Traffic Regulations Act, it added.
Several processions are scheduled to take place in Kolkata on the occasion of Ram Navami. Dhananjay Sharma, president of Shiv Shakti Mandir in Paddapukur, Bhabanipur, said a procession will be taken out from the temple on Thursday evening, and cover several neighbourhoods before returning to the mandir.
Ashim Basu, councillor from Ward 70, said the Trinamool Congress will also take out a rally on the occasion.
Vivek Gupta, TMC MLA from Jorasanko, will also lead a procession from a Hanuman temple in Burrabazar to Ram Mandir on CR Avenue.