Ganesh mandals shouldn’t expect the state government to offer them any relaxation in the policy that was formed last year in accordance with the Bombay High Court directives
Ganesh mandals shouldn’t expect the state government to offer them any relaxation in the policy that was formed last year in accordance with the Bombay High Court directives. The organisers will have to abide by rules or face the law.
Representational pic
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Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told a delegation of organisers on Monday that he expected them to follow rules in the policy, based on which local authorities will allow them to build pandals. Fadnavis said if the conditions are met he may allow mandals to use loudspeakers till midnight on one more day in addition to the five days that are allowed.
The four days were decided by the state while one extra day was allowed by respective local authorities. Of the 15 holidays declared by the state government for playing loudspeakers till midnight, respective district collectors are authorised to declare three of them, including Ganesh visarjan day on which processions are taken out.
However, the HC recently asked the state to not allow local authorities to decide the three days when loudspeakers can be used till midnight as it wasn’t happy with the state’s effort of preventing noise pollution.
As far as mandals are concerned, they have to follow many regulations, submit pandal plans (sketches) to local authorities. They are barred from occupying roads and digging roads for erecting pandals.
The traffic police and the police station need to issue a no objection certificate with pandal’s application. Last year, many pandals were fined for digging roads. The government plans to enforce penalty raj this year as well.
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