Modalities To Conduct Ganesh Puja In Cuttack City Soon: Police Commissioner

Cuttack: A day after the Cuttack administration allowed celebration of Ganesh Puja amid COVID restrictions, Twin City Police Commissioner Soumendra Priyadarshi on Tuesday said modalities for conducting the festival in Cuttack city will be finalised after a meeting.

“As the state government has relaxed the lockdown restrictions, the Commissionerate Police will have a meeting with the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and the district administration to discuss the modalities for Ganesh Puja in the city,” he added.

The festival is being celebrated on September 10 this year.

He further said the puja will be held with strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines in the city, where the COVID caseload is still high.

Briefing the media earlier in the day, Cuttack Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani said that all religious institutions in the district will reopen from Wednesday with COVID-19 guidelines.

The decision to reopen places of worship in Cuttack city will be taken after a meeting with the Cuttack Municipal Corporation, he added.

On Tuesday, the collector said Ganesh Chaturthi will be held at Puja Mandaps across the district but steps will be taken to avoid congregation of the public at the venues.

Last year, the festival was held without public participation. Only priests and other people concerned were allowed inside the Mandaps to perform the rituals.