Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday held an administrative meeting and instructed partymen to conduct the annual Gangasagar fair maintaining all pandemic protocols.
Addressing a press conference in state secretariat Nabanna, Mamata said that the TMC government is planning to make Gangasagar Mela ‘eco friendly’ for which 2100 civic volunteers will be deployed for all four days of the fair starting from January 13.
“In order to maintain proper pandemic protocols, barricades will be made from 51 kilometers and 10 fire tenders and 25 firefighters will be kept for any kind of emergencies. There will also be five safe homes, 600-bed covid hospitals and 11 quarantine centers in the fairground,” said Mamata. She also added that there will be 20 drones that would constantly monitor the movement of the pilgrimages.
Incidentally, Mamata will visit Gangasagar and will offer prayers on Tuesday following which the Chief Minister is likely to hold an administrative meeting on December 29 and return to Kolkata on December 30.
The Chief Minister also instructed her party leaders to increase the number of RT-PCR test centers in both the fair ground and bus terminus that would be done in Kolkata.
“There will be 2250 government buses that will leave from Kolkata for the fair ground and there will be 70 extra trains from Sealdah apart from routine trains for which the RT-PCR test centers should increase so that none of the kiosks are crowded,” further added the TMC Supremo.
She also instructed the would be Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim to also hold testing centers for the pilgrimages attending the fair in Kolkata.
“Both the places in Sagar Island or Kolkata should be cleaned soon after the fair is over. Firhad should ensure that covid test is done for the pilgrimages. All the leaders should ensure the safety of the people,” opined Mamata.
Notably, on December 9, the state transport department had called for a tender to hire helicopters and the last date for submitting the tender is on December 29.
According to state transport department sources, if anyone falls sick during their visit in the fair, to make the person reach Kolkata at the earliest the transport department had decided to hire choppers.
