The Calcutta High Court today expressed displeasure at the rampant blocking of important thoroughfares for the Durga Puja, the biggest festival in Bengal, and directed the city police commissioner to file a report on guidelines for granting permission to organisers.
Justice Sanjib Banerjee directed the Kolkata Police commissioner to file the report by September 24 stating the guidelines for sanctioning public pujas by blocking roads, period of blocking and time for dismantling the pandals.
Justice Banerjee said that there were allegations that ministers were behaving like goons in organising Pujas and the state was not taking any step.
Some ministers in the state are said to be associated with large and well-known Durga Pujas in the metropolis, attracting lakhs of visitors during the five-day festival.
Observing that it becomes difficult to travel from one place to another during the festival due to blocking of important avenues for Pujas, Justice Banerjee said that permission to hold pujas were being given to the powerful, but the weaker people were discriminated against.
The observations came during the hearing of a writ petition filed by Durbar Mahila Samannay Samiti, an organisation of sex workers at Sonagachchi area in north Kolkata, over refusal of permission to hold Durga Puja by the city police.
The petitioners stated that it had sought permission from the Kolkata Police to hold Durga Puja at the crossing of Abinash Kabiraj Lane and Masjid Bari Lane, but was refused.
On moving the high court, Justice Banerjee had last week directed the government to inform the court why permission was not granted.
The state today told the court that permission could not be granted as erection of a pandal to hold the pujas there would create traffic congestion.
