HC bans pandal hopping

While West Bengal was preparing for the Durga Puj festivities, the Calcutta High Court while hearing a PIL ordered that all pandals to be made into ‘no entry’ zones. The court’s direction will be applicable for all 34,000 puja pandals in the state. “The court’s order further mentioned that the smaller pandals will have barricades five metres beyond the extremities of the pandals and 10 metres beyond the extremities of the bigger pandals,” said Advocate Sabyasachi Chatterjee, the petitioner of the PIL. The court also restricted the number of puja committee members moving in and out of the pandal for rituals and other work related to the pandal. “For smaller pujas, 15 committee members and 25 members for the bigger pujas will be permitted to enter the pandal.