Gangasagar Mela 2022 gets go-ahead from Calcutta High Court with certain conditions, 3-member committee to ensure compliance
A petition in Calcutta High Court had urged that year's Gangasagar Mela be stopped in light of the COVID-19/ Omicron numbers in west Bangal and in the country at large.
Gangasagar Mela gets go-ahead from Calcutta High Court | Photo Credit: PTI
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court, on Friday, gave a go-ahead to Gangasagar Mela with certain conditions. A 3-member committee comprising of Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state, chairman, West Bengal Human Rights Commission and a representative of the state has been constituted to ensure compliance of measures suggested by the state.
The move comes a day after the court said that it 'expects' the West Bengal government to seriously consider the ban on Gangasagar Mela in light of the spread of COVID-19 in the state. The bench was hearing a petition that had urged the High Court to direct the state to stop this year's Gangasagar Mela citing COVID-19 and Omicron threat in the state and the country.
"Having regard to the severity of spreading of COVID virus, we expect that the state will seriously consider the plea to ban the Mela this year and take a decision in this regard," the bench comprising of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice K D Bhutia had said on Thursday.
Life more important than religious practices: HC earlier said
The court had urged the state government to remember an earlier order of the High Court, wherein it had said that life was more important than religious practices, beliefs and faiths.
"The state will duly take into account the positivity rate of virus and fact that within the last 24 hours there is 50 per cent increase in the number of cases and also the fact that a large number of doctors are already infected," it had said.
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The Gangasagar Mela 2022 is scheduled to be held from January 8-16 on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. The Gangasagar Mela will be held at Sagar Island, 130 km from Kolkata. The petition had noted that a large number of pilgrims attend the Gangasagar Mela every year taking the footfall to over 18 lakh.