The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, 21 October, partially relaxed its earlier order on the number of people allowed inside Durga Puja pandals in the state.
The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, 19 October, admitted the review plea by a forum of 400 top Durga Puja organisers in Kolkata who approached the court seeking a review of its order declaring puja pandals "no-entry zones" for visitors over the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Hearing a review plea by the Forum For Durgotsav, the HC said that bigger pandals (over 300 square metres) will be allowed to have 60 people inside. However, at a time only 45 people will be allowed.
- In the smaller pandals, 15 people will be allowed inside, with only 10 at a time.
- A list of these 60 or 15 people have to made and displayed outside the pandal by 8 am everyday. The court had earlier said that this list had to be fixed and could not be changed everyday.
- The court further said dhaakis will be allowed inside the pandal as long as they maintain social distancing, wear masks, and follow other COVID-19 norms.
[Earlier the court had declared that all pandals will be 'no entry zones' and no outside visitors will be allowed inside. Only 25 people, based on a pre-determined, fixed list, were allowed inside pandals.
While the number of people allowed inside pandals has now been increased, all pandals are still 'no-entry zones'.]
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