UP Govt issues guidelines for Shardiya Navratri, Vijayadashami and Chehallum

Lucknow, Sep 19(UNI) To ensure peaceful and safe celebrations of the upcoming festivals of Shardiya Navratri, Vijayadashami and Chehallum, the state government on Sunday issued guidelines regarding the COVID-19 protocol along with law and order.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the review meeting of COVID-19 held here on Sunday, issued guidelines to maintain law and order and communal harmony in view of the upcoming Shardiya Navratri, Vijayadashami, Dussehra and Chehallum festivals.

In another order, the state government has now allowed a gathering of 100 people in a marriage function which was earlier restricted to 50 persons.

On the occasion of Navratri, Durga Puja and Vijayadashami/Dussehra festival and staging of Ramlila and Chehallum, instructions have been given to ensure strict compliance of the instructions given by the government for the prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the instructions issued by Additional Chief Secretary Home Awnish Kumar Awasthi, it has been said that while granting permission for the establishment of Durga Puja Pandals and Ramlila Manch, care should be taken that normal traffic is not affected. The idols should be installed in the traditional but empty space, their size should be kept as small as possible and the number of people allowed should not be more than the capacity of the ground. As much as possible small vehicles should be used in the immersion of idols and with minimum number of people involved in the program. At the time of idol immersion etc, there should not be more people present than the prescribed limit and the rules of physical distance and wearing of masks must be followed to the hilt. It should be ensured that no gathering of people exceeds the capacity at any religious place.

The instructions say that it traffic is not obstructed during the festivities and suspicious vehicles should be checked thoroughly by putting up barriers and police check posts and the rules of the Motor Vehicles Act should be strictly followed.
Along with this, special attention has also been given to public facilities like electricity, availibility of drinking water and cleanliness. The officers of the district and police administration have been directed to ensure that social and communal harmony is maintained at all cost on this occasion and security arrangements should be such way that no law and order problem should arise. Mobile patrolling should be done in sensitive areas and other places also.
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