NEW DELHI: Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) is likely to take a decision on permission for Chhath Puja celebrations in the city in a meeting to be chaired by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on October 27.
The authority had prohibited celebrations of Chhath Puja at public places on September 30 for the second year in a row in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had written a letter to Baijal on October 14 to convene a meeting of DDMA to allow celebrations in the capital with all necessary Covid-19 protocols in place. Kejriwal had said that Chhath Puja should be allowed as the Covid-19 situation has been under control in the national capital and many other states have allowed the celebrations. In the letter, Kejriwal had stated that the people of Delhi celebrate Chhath every year with faith and the festival is an integral part of our ancient culture.
Apart from the LG and CM, Delhi’s revenue minister Kailash Gahlot, chief secretary Vijay Dev and other senior government officials would be present in the meeting to be held through videoconferencing on Wednesday.
Earlier, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia had also written a letter to Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, seeking guidelines for the festival.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Manoj Tiwari has been demanding permission for Chhath Puja in the capital since September 30. Tiwari had also started a ‘Chhath Yatra’ to mobilise support for revoking the ban.
