Agartala Aug 29: Aiming to ensure a smooth and organized Durga Puja for the citizens, the Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor Dipak Majumder urged the puja organizers to follow the guidelines issued by the Corporation and adhere to the norms and regulations.

Thursday, the Mayor addressed the press from the conference hall of AMC Office, Agartala and briefed the preparations for Durgotsav 2024.

He said, “The grand 4-day festival of Durga Puja is celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm in our state with more than 350 puja pandals set up in the Agartala Municipal Corporation areas. To facilitate the devotees from state and abroad, the AMC is committed to ensure a smooth and organized celebration”.

On Wednesday last, the Mayor chaired a council meeting at the conference hall of the corporation office to discuss the preparations of Durga Puja 2024.

Speaking about the decisions taken and guidelines issued for the puja organizers, Majumder said, “Last year, a total of 370 clubs and social organizations were granted permission to organize puja in four designated zones. This year, similar permissions have been extended to various clubs and organizations”.

To obtain permission for constructing public Durga Puja pandals, organizers must adhere to specific conditions. These include; “Pandal construction should not hinder public movement. Pandal structures or overhead gates must be erected after blacktop or peach road surfaces. Under no circumstances should pandals or gates obstruct the five main streets. Puja organizers must seek necessary approvals from the Fire Department, Power Department, PWD (R&B), and Traffic Department. Any damage to government property during pandal construction must be compensated by the respective puja entrepreneurs”.

“If the pandal’s height exceeds 20 feet, approval from the Civil Engineering Department is mandatory. Also, pandals should be constructed at least 8 feet away from power transmission lines. A qualified engineer’s certification confirming proper pandal construction must accompany the application”, he said.

Majumder further added, “Unauthorized vendors are prohibited from opening stalls. In the Pur Nigam area, stall requests will be evaluated based on their impact on pedestrian and vehicular movement”.

“Pandals must be demolished by the day after Vijaya Dashami. Failure to comply may result in the AMC taking action at the puja entrepreneurs’ expense”, he added.

The Mayor also urged the organizers to ensure cleanliness around the puja premises and to display festoons with slogans promoting cleanliness and blood donation.

“Every ward of Agartala will incur their own expenditure from the sanctioned fund for maintenance work on roads, drains and others following the Durga puja festival, so that the devotees can be facilitated at large,” he told reporters.

“In addition to this, the Corporation has taken up some additional works following the festive season ahead, which includes adequate lighting facilities in every locality of the city, cleanliness drive, deployment of additional manpower to ensure pollution free festival and others”, said Dipak Majumder.

Apart from these, the Mayor informed that the clubs and other social organizations which will organize Durga puja festival will be provided with new dustbins, basin powders and other necessary materials to maintain cleanliness of their area during the festive season.

Also, proper arrangements will be taken up by the AMC to ensure hassle free idol immersion at Agartala Dashamighat.