Puja committee members need no longer stand in serpentine queues to obtain permissions for their block pujas. This year there would be an option to do so online.
Till last year, residents had to queue up at the administrative building in DJ Block for permissions but from this year all they need to do is visit www.bidhannagar.org, the newly-commissioned website of the corporation.
“We are stressing on e-governance and wanted to give the residents a Puja gift. The online process would make it easier for puja committees to procure permissions,” said Sabyasachi Dutta, mayor of the corporation.
The “Puja Permission” option would be available on the website from August and after submitting the applications, single-window clearance counters would be set up at different police stations in the corporation where officials from the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited, West Bengal Fire and Emergency Services and Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation would check requisite documents, receive fees and issue clearance certificates needed for organising pujas.
“In case of any discrepancies in the application, the puja committees would be notified via email and asked to visit Poura Bhavan,” Dutta said.
The news has been welcomed by puja organisers. “Things had got hectic over the last few years and there would be a lot of running around for permits. It’s good that they’ve gone online,” said Ashok Das, a puja committee member of AB Block.