Forum for Durgotsav files review plea against Calcutta HC order to declare Durga Puja pandals 'No-Entry Zones'

The review plea, which has been filed before the division bench of Justice Sanjib Banerjee, has been registered in the court and the matter is likely to be heard on Wednesday.

Committee members of the Forum for Durgotsav said that senior lawyer and TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee will represent the organisation's petition at the High Court.

Earlier on Monday, a division bench of Calcutta HC's Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee directed to put up barricades five metres before smaller pandals and 10 metres before the entrance of bigger puja pandals to bar the entry of visitors.

The court also said that not more than 25 people, who would be the organisers, will be allowed in the puja pandals and their names will be displayed at the entrance of the pandals.

Last week, the same division bench passed an interim order that all the Durga Puja committees in Bengal, which had been granted a dole of Rs. 50,000 each by the state government, could spend the "public money" only in public interest.

The court directed that 75% of the amount had to be spent to buy Covid-19 protective equipment, including masks and sanitisers, while the clubs or puja committees had to expend the remaining 25% in awareness promotion and community-policing or community oriented policing (COP).

The bench also said that the government granted dole could not be used for other purposes like decoration, amusement or entertainment.

Both of these verdicts were pronounced based on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by CITU leader from Durgapur, Saurav Dutta, challenging West Bengal government's decision of permitting Durga Puja amid pandemic and granting Rs. 50,000 to each puja committee.