Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today urged Chhath Puja devotees to follow Covid protocols and wear masks while mocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “achhe din” slogan saying it has been turned into “burhe din” bad days) by the Centre’s price hike.

“If we want to do work then we cannot say ‘achhe din’ and turn it into ‘burhe din’ by increasing the prices and by ‘notebandi’. Instead we have to undertake ‘Lakshmir Bhandar’, ‘Students Credit Card’ and provide free treatment and ration,” said Miss Banerjee at Doi Ghat.

She also visited Takta Ghat to oversee the administrative preparedness for Chhath Puja. Addressing devotees, Miss Banerjee said, “Walk to the ghats slowly and offer puja. There is nothing to rush. Covid protocols should be followed and all should wear their masks. Police too should make announcements on ghats to ensure that the devotees walk slowly.”

She said that Covid related night restrictions have been lifted for two days due to Chhath Puja and the state government has also declared a two-day holiday. Miss Banerjee further said that ghats have been provided with lighting and announcement facilities so that devotees can perform the Chhath Puja rituals properly.

“I have been visiting this place since 1984. Along with Chhath Puja we observe other pujas like Ganesh Puja in Bengal,” she said at Doi Ghat while extending her best wishes to the devotees. State government has readied over 130 permanent and temporary ghats of the city. The National Green Tribunal, the Calcutta High Court and Supreme Court have imposed several restrictions during Chhath due to the pandemic.

Meanwhile, taking lessons from previous years, Rabindra Sarobar and Subhash Sarobar were kept shut for public during Chhath Puja as government deployed large contingents of police to avert violation of the order. The National Green Tribunal had banned any kind of puja celebrations on the 192-acre Sarobar campus and police presence has been reinforced to implement the order and prevent devotees from using the lakes.

According to sources, around 500 police personnel have been deployed at various gates of the lake and ACP and DCP ranks officers are monitoring the situation. Rabindra Sarobar has been kept shut with its gates locked and chained from 6pm on  9 November to 6pm tomorrow. Even morning walkers were barred from the premises. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority which is the custodian of the water body put up boards having a list of 13 temporary and three permanent ghats where the devotees could perform their rituals.

Besides, the city police also kept ready at the main gate to ferry the devotees visiting the lake to the other ghats where they could perform the festival rituals. City environment activists visiting Rabindra Sarobar lake hailed the arrangements made by the administration.

“This is not a fight between  Bengalis and non-Bengalis. We are not against any community or any ritual,” said Naba Dutta, an environmental activist. The water bodies need to be saved so that everyone can benefit from it. There has been a lot of awareness among the people on the subject,” he added.