Distribution of face masks and hand sanitisers outside Puja pandals will be prohibited during Durga Puja in Ranchi, the government said in a press communique on Tuesday, further stating that all the restrictions mentioned in a set of guidelines issued earlier regarding Durga Puja celebrations will have to be strictly followed during the festival in the state capital.
As per the guidelines issued by the Hemant Soren-led government on October 1, which will remain enforced unless there is a revision, not more than seven people should be allowed inside a puja pandal at a time.
Besides, puja pandals are not allowed to install loudspeakers, play devotional songs and organize theme-based pujas, the guidelines stated. The government, in its guidelines, had also imposed a prohibition on distribution of Bhog.
The government’s move of sticking to the guidelines issued earlier assumes significance as several puja committees and also the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had sought revisions in the puja guidelines recently, which the government has clearly left unheeded, puja organisers said.