Calcutta High Court revises its order on Gangasagar Mela

In a revised order by the Calcutta High Court on Gangasagar Mela, the division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Kesong Doma Bhutia dropped leader of the opposition Suvednu Adhikari from a three-member committee formed by the court on January 7 to monitor compliance of Covid restrictions at Gangasagar Mela in Sagar Island.

The court has instead reconstituted it to a two-member committee comprising former Justice Samapti Chatterjee and the member secretary of the West Bengal Legal Services Authority.

The Trinamool Congress without naming Suvendu Adhikari had objected to the presence of any political personality because that might create problem in taking the right decision. With the High Court order, the ruling Trinamool Congress is considering it to be its moral victory.

Earlier in its order the court had asked the state government to issue notification declaring the Sagar Island as "Notified area" within a period of 24 hours from the time of judgment.

The order also asked the Home Secretary of the State of West Bengal to ensure that restrictions issued by the State are duly implemented without any lapse in Gangasagar Island during the Mela period.

The Home Secretary has also been asked to issue advertisements in the daily newspapers having wide circulation in the state and also through the electronic media, making the public aware of the risk of visiting Gangasagar Island between January 8 and 16, 2022 in large gathering and will make an appeal to them to stay safe and desist from visiting the Gangasagar Island during this period.

It also instructed that all those visiting the Mela should be doubly vaccinated and test RT-PCR negative, conducted 72 hours before reaching the venue. It has also asked for strict regulation of crowds to maintain social distancing. Declaration of the island as a notified area will empower the state to take measures for safeguarding the health and welfare of the pilgrims as it deems necessary.