BHUBANESWAR: With stiff opposition from puja committees, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has changed its guidelines for organising Durga Puja in the city. No Objection Certificate (NOC) from BMC won’t be mandatory for the puja committees.
Officials of the civic body said the committees won’t be forced to obtain the NoC from BMC to organise puja. The BMC, in a preparatory meeting held earlier this week, had made NOC mandatory for the puja committees. But the corporation tweaked the norms after several puja committees opposed the decision and urged BMC not to enforce it.
“Since a single-window system is already in place with the Commissionerate Police to issue NOC and other clearances related to fire safety, water and electricity to puja pandals, we have considered the request of committees and decided not to mandate obtaining of another NOC from the civic body for Durga Puja,” Additional Commissioner of BMC Surath Chandra Mallick said.
The corporation has also issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to the committees for a smooth and peaceful Dussehra in the city. While use of polythene and single-use plastic products has been prohibited in and around the pandals, the Commissionerate Police has decided to ban DJs during puja.
The Commissionerate Police will also train the members of puja committees to strengthen safety and security at pandals.
Dussehra will be celebrated in the city from October 5. While Mahashtami falls on October 6 and Bijayadasami on October 8, immersion of the idols of Goddess Durga will take place on October 9.
Puja pandals at Rasulgarh, Bomikhal, Nayapalli, Baramunda, Saheed Nagar, Laxmi Sagar, Old Station Bazaar, Ashok Nagar, VSS Nagar, Palasuni, Unit-4 and Patia will be the major attraction for visitors in the city.