GUWAHATI: The Durga Puja committees of Assam are wary of organising puja with grandeur this year, despite Assam Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma’s announcement that Durga Puja will be celebrated with the original fanfare.
CM Sarma told the media persons that celebrations will hopefully be normal and the Government will soon be issuing the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for organising Durga Puja in the State. However, he also mentioned that visitors should be vaccinated with at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Despite this welcome announcement, some puja committees tell G Plus that they will be deciding on the celebrations only after the SOP is released by the Government.
"Last year also we were hoping to have regular celebrations. But the situation worsened. This year's situation is better, but people are not financially stable that they can give us donations. And it is not possible to organise such a grand puja without donations," Secretary of the Latasil Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee Bijit Pradeep Das said.
"Usually we get the sponsors by this time. But this year no one has approached us. We ourselves went to a few companies and business houses, but no one is willing to pay," he further added.
"We cannot ask for house-to-house donation like earlier, neither can we ask the shops. It's best to wait for the SOP and then decide. For now, we are thinking not to have the mass 'bhog',” a member of the Bharalumukh Durga Puja Committee Diganta Das said.
Many Durga Puja committees are struggling with financial crunch themselves. With the pandemic battered economic situation of the State, committees are muddled up if grand Durga Puja celebrations can be organised even if the Government issues relaxed guidelines.
