Hojai: With Durga Puja just around the corner, the Hojai district administration has issued strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure smooth and safe celebrations across the district, where more than 460 Puja pandals are set to be organised.
Deputy Comissioner Bidyut Bikash Bhagawati said the directives will remain in effect from the opening of the Puja to the immersion of idols on Vijaya Dashami. Committees have been instructed to obtain mandatory permissions from the Revenue Circle Officer through their respective police stations before setting up pandals.
According to the SOP, Puja pandals must be erected only with the landowner’s consent and not on public roads. Separate entry and exit arrangements for visitors are compulsory, along with the installation of CCTV cameras and alternative power backup. No temporary shops will be permitted within 500 metres of a Puja venue.
The order further restricts the use of loudspeakers after 10 PM, while Puja mandap gates must be closed for visitors after 11 PM. On immersion day, SDRF personnel will be stationed at ghats, with smaller Puja committees required to deploy at least 25 volunteers and larger ones 50, for crowd and safety management.
The DC emphasised that these measures are designed to maintain law and order, and facilitate peaceful festivities.