Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nanda has directed police stations to verify the fire-safety arrangements at Durga Puja pandals and identify the fire personnel assigned to each site, so that emergency coordination can begin quickly if an incident occurs during the festival.
The instruction was issued at a meeting with police station officials on Wednesday. Officers were told to obtain details from the fire services about the arrangements made around individual pandals and the personnel who would be deployed near them. The stated aim is to ensure that police can contact the fire services without delay in the event of an accident.
The directive comes as the city’s large pujas prepare to receive visitors. Police stations have also been asked to scrutinise all aspects of new pujas before granting permission. They have been instructed to hold multiple meetings with puja committees at the police-station level to review preparations.
The meeting also addressed complaints of coercive collection of puja donations. Lalbazar is launching a dedicated helpline, 1800 345 5678, and a WhatsApp number, 9432624365, for complaints related to forced collections. Police stations have been told to take immediate action when such complaints are received.
Large puja pandals will also be asked to host women’s assistance desks and cyber assistance desks outside their premises. According to Lalbazar, these desks will be used during the festival to conduct awareness campaigns on crimes against women and cybercrime, bringing services already operating at police stations closer to visitors.
The policing plan also covers high-profile inaugurations. After an event at Eden Gardens on Mahalaya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate five major pujas in Kolkata. The police station officers-in-charge in the areas where those pujas are located have been directed to examine all arrangements thoroughly.
For the city, the instructions place emergency readiness within the permission and coordination process for puja pandals. The police directions cover fire-service deployment details, engagement with organisers, complaint mechanisms and visitor-facing assistance desks. Further preparation will be carried out through meetings between police stations and puja committees.
