Bowing to pressure, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to consider requests to allow Ganesh festival celebrations beyond three days. If any of the organisers want to install Ganesh and Gowri idols for more than three days, they can obtain permission from the sanctioning authority i.e. local police and jurisdictional assistant executive engineer of the BBMP.
While the State government recently issued festival guidelines stating that the idols could be installed for not more than five days, the BBMP issued separate guidelines pertaining to the city restricting duration of celebration to three days.
This angered many organisers, who argued for permission to install the idols in public places for more days.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Gaurav Gupta told The Hindu that the civic body follows the guidelines issued by the State government. The BBMP had now been decided that the local police and the jurisdictional AEE would take a call on whether permission to install the idols for more than three days should be given.
“We decided on restricting celebrations for three days based on inputs we received from the police department. Given that there are now groups seeking more time, it has been decided that that call will be taken locally,” he said.
He also said the decision to accord permission to more than one organiser per ward would also be taken locally. “In many places, the organisers may want to install the idols in semi-public spaces. So, the local authorities would be right in according permission on merit,” he added.
