Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee meets Durga Puja Committees to chalk plan on festival amid COVID

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday conducted a special meeting with Durga Puja Committees over how the annual extravaganza will be conducted this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As per sources, Mamata Banerjee held the meeting along with senior members of the administration including representatives from municipal corporations and the police. Earlier the West Bengal government had announced that this year the grand Durga Puja festival would be celebrated as a low-key affair amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Read: Bengal Has Made Provision To Meet Power Demand During Durga Puja: Minister

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West Bengal prepares for Durga Puja

With around a month left for the Durga Puja, preparations have kicked off in the state. As per the guidelines issued by the government, the height of the deity has been kept restricted to eight to ten feet, at least 5 feet less than the usual height. Along with this, labourers are being made to undergo the COVID-19 tests before starting pandal work. Most puja committees have also slashed their budgets.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Power Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay revealed that the government had made adequate provisions to meet the power demand during the festive days in the state. "We are making a provision of five per cent excess demand for power this Durga Puja than the previous year. We have provisioned for 8,400MW demand in the state. However, power demand is likely to be less due to the pandemic," he said.

West Bengal's COVID-19 death toll surged past the 4,500-mark on Wednesday after 61 more patients succumbed to the virus, even as the coronavirus tally went up to 2,34,673 with 3,189 fresh cases, the health department said in a bulletin. 

Read: Focus On Safety, Preparations Afoot For Low-key Durga Puja

Read: West Bengal's COVID-19 Toll Tops 4,500-mark With 61 More Deaths