Ganesha festival: Only a handful of applications for public celebrations

They are being vetted by the jurisdictional joint commissioners

People buying idols at stalls on R.V. Road on Friday.

The number of applications for the installation of Ganesha idols in public spaces has dropped drastically this year in the backdrop of the pandemic and restrictions placed by the government. Following directions from Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to allow only one public installation per ward.

All the applications are being vetted by the jurisdictional joint commissioners. Just a handful of applications had come in from the 198 wards in the city, sources in the BBMP said.

In the South zone, just one application was received from Basavanagudi ward, said joint commissioner N.N. Veerabhadraswamy. Mahadevapura ward, too, received a single application.

“A single window system had been set up in the office of the jurisdictional Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). We had met councillors of all wards coming under the zone,” said R. Venkatachalapathy, Mahadevapura joint commissioner.

Bommanahalli zone bucked the trend in that it received many inquiries.

Joint commissioner M. Ramakrishna said the decision would be taken by the respective ward committees. “Once the ward committees finalise the applications, we will accord permission,” he said.

K. Narasimhamurthy, joint commissioner of Dasarahalli zone, said until 4 p.m., the deadline for receiving application, only four applications had come in. “We are coordinating with the DCP, heads of five police stations coming under the zone. We have also readied the Kalyani of Chokkasandra lake to facilitate immersion of idols,” he said.

Rajarajeshwarinagar joint commissioner Nagaraj held meetings with the chief engineer, ward engineers, DCP, Assistant Commissioner of Police and various cultural organisations. “We told them of the restrictions in place. We received applications from just a handful of organisers,” he said.

Information on applications received by West, East and Yelahanka zones was not available.

Meanwhile, the BBMP has issued another circular on the restrictions in place for the celebration of Ganesha festival. While urging citizens to opt for eco-friendly idols not more than four feet high, the civic body has clarified that the permission for installation of public idols is valid from August 22 to 24. Arrangement for immersion of idols installed in public places had been made and mobile immersion tanks will be deployed. No processions, orchestra or music performance will be allowed, said the civic body in the circular.