Cuttack: Tension prevailed at the meeting of puja committees of twin cities, Cuttack Mahanagar Shanti Committee and Purvanchal Shanti Committee convened to discuss the state government’s decision on Durga idol’s height during Dussera on Saturday.
After the Special Relief Commissioner Pradeep Jena in a press briefing on Friday evening justified the state government’s decision to limit the height of the idol to maximum 4 feet, former BJD MLA and secretary of Cuttack Mahanagar Puja Committee Pravat Tripathy said the puja and Shanti committees of the twin cities will have an urgent meeting to decide the future course of action on Saturday.
According to sources, while the meeting, attended by delegations of the two committees at OCA conference hall in Barabati stadium, here was going on, former MLA Prabhat Biswal made a statement supporting the government’s decision to cap the idol height. It sparked off a sharp reaction from the members of the puja committees leading to a ruckus. The members of puja committees shouted slogans against the government decision and demanded its immediate withdrawal.
Pravat Tripathy and MP Bhartruhari Mahatab were also present in the meeting.
During a meeting with government officials on September 8, the delegation of the puja committees of Cuttack had impressed upon chief secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and the SRC that the height of the idol of the Goddess would not contribute to the rise in the COVID cases.
Meanwhile, the members of the puja committees of twin cities, social activists and general public have formed one km long human chain outside the stadium to demand withdrawal of the decision on capping the idol’s height.
