The State government has no plans of completely banning Ganesh celebrations by mandals, Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath said in Belagavi on Friday.
The officer assured a delegation of Ganesh mandals that they would be allowed to celebrate the festival by following some practices as per the COVID -19 protocol.
The mandal representatives told him that they would oppose any move by the government to ban the festival.
Mr. Hiremath said that the district administration officers were waiting for the SOP from the State government about holding the festival during the rising COVID-19 cases.
Commissioner of Police K. Thiyagarajan asked the mandals to maintain self-discipline and act responsibly to battle the epidemic.
SP Lakshman Nimbargi said that around 5,000 Ganesh idols were installed by the mandals in the city and the district during the festival season. They are likely to attract large crowds. The mandals should work with the government and police to ensure COVID- 19 protocol is followed, he added.
