West Bengal: Restrictions On Durga Puja Pandal Entry Eased By Calcutta HC; 45 People Allowed To Enter At A Time

Calcutta High Court had on Monday has declared all pandals across West Bengal no-entry zones to prevent the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state.

Image: PTI

New Delhi: In a good news for the devotees in West Bengal, who were looking forward to Pandal hopping this year, the Calcutta High Court has eased the restrictions on Durga Puja celebrations and has allowed entry of 45 people in pandals. The decision comes just on time as the five- day Durga Puja festival is set to begin on October 22. It is to be noted that the Calcutta High Court  had on Monday has declared all pandals across West Bengal no-entry zones to prevent the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state. The High Court partially reversed its order and has said that in order to enter the large Durga Puja pandals a list of 60 people needs to be prepared. However, of the 60 names, only 45 people can stay together at a time. For Pandals less than 300 square metres, a list of 15 people has to be prepared, though only 10 an remain inside at a time. The HC had mandated that for small pandals barricades will have to be put up five metres from the entrance, while for the bigger ones a distance of 10 metres will have to be maintained. The previous order had also said that there should be no-entry boards on the barricades. The HC had also ordered that only 15 to 25 persons belonging to the organising committees will be allowed to enter the pandals.