Ranchi: The district administration on Monday interacted with the organizers/Ravana Dahan Committees and various puja pandals organising committees in Ranchi. Additional District Magistrate (Law and Order) Utkarsh Gupta, Superintendent of Police City, Superintendent of Police Traffic, Sub-Divisional Officer Sadar Ranchi, Sub- Divisional Officer Bundu and members of various Puja Pandals/Ravana Dahan Committee were present in the meeting held in the Collectorate.
During the meeting, discussions were held regarding the guidelines issued by the state government regarding the construction of Puja pandals/Ravana Dahan/Idol immersion etc. During this, a dialogue was also held by the worship committee regarding better arrangements. It was said that the officers of the police administration would make it available through proper arrangements. As per the guidelines issued by the district administration Puja can be done in specially made small pandals/ mandaps. Construction of Puja Pandal is allowed outside the Containment Zone. Durga Puja pandal/ mandap will be barricaded from all four sides and covered on three sides to prevent the entry of visitors. Devotees can have darshan from a distance outside the barricade without entering the pandal.
Worship pandal/mandap will not be constructed on any subject. No decoration by lighting will be done in the vicinity of the Puja Pandal/ Mandap. Necessary lighting is allowed for the purpose of safety and security. Welcome gates/Toran gates shall not be constructed in and around the Puja pandal/ mandap. Except for the place of the idol, the rest of the puja pandals/mandaps will remain open.
The size of the idol should not exceed 5 feet. In compliance with the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, the use of a public address system for the live broadcast of Mantra/ recitation/ aarti may be permitted. No transmission of tape/audio/digital recording will be done. All worship committee members/priests/volunteers are required to take at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. No fair will be organized on this occasion. No food stall will be opened in and around Durga Puja pandal/mandap.
There should not be more than 25 persons at any one time including the organisers, priests and support staff present in the Durga Puja pandal/mandap.
There shall be no immersion procession, immersion of the idols shall be done at the place(s) approved for the purpose by the District Administration. There will be no music or any other entertainment/cultural programme.
No Community Bhoj/ Prasad or Bhog Distribution Ceremony will be organized. There is no restriction on home delivery of Prasad. No invitation in any form will be issued by the organisers/ puja committees. No public function/programme will be organized for the inauguration of the Pandal/ Pavilion. No road shall be blocked for the construction of the pandal. Garba/ Dandiya programme shall not be organized in any public place. The effigy of Ravana should not be burnt in a public place as it attracts a huge crowd.
Wearing of face cover/mask is mandatory in public places. Persons below the age of 18 years shall not be present in the pandal. Individuals should maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet in public places. The persons present in the Puja Pandal/Pavilion shall follow all the Covid-19 protocols of social distancing, use of masks, personal hygiene and sanitation in the letter issued by the Central/ State Government/Local Administration.
The organizers and other persons involved in the conduct of the Puja shall comply with any other condition(s) imposed by the local administration/ appointed authority. Action can be taken against any person violating the provisions of sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act. Apart from 2005, legal action will be taken under section-188 of IPC and other applicable legal provisions.