Mandals say rules have dampened spirit

Nagpur: The road from Traffic Park to Zenda Chowk in Dharmapeth is lit with arcades made of tiny coloured lights. The huge idol of Lord Ganesh has been installed in extreme corner of the road. Former corporator Baba Maind, sitting near the idol, presents a forlorn picture as the music plays on a low volume. “There are so many restrictions now that the festival has lost its fervour. We have been installing Ganesh idol on this square for the past 47 years.But the festive spirit is dampening since last two years,” he says, blaming the slew of rules being implemented by administration. “A single person files a PIL and everybody else suffers,” he says, referring to court orders on low noise and putting up gates. “This city has a population of over 25 lakh and the court should consider their enthusiasm and excitement over the ten-day festival,” he says.
For the last two years, gates are not being installed at Munna Jaiswal’s mandal in Dhantoli. Exasperated over the innumerable permissions that are to be sought, Jaiswal, who has been installing an idol for past 27 years, says, “The authorities are misinterpreting court orders. It is not against celebrating festival. Only public convenience has to be kept in mind,” he says, complaining about the manner in which rules are being implemented. “The single window system implemented this year has also been a non-starter as they gave a 25-page form but could not bring together all agencies like MSEB, traffic police and licensing authorities,” he adds.
Bitter about the new rules for putting up welcome gates, Sanjay Chinchole of Shri Santi Ganesh Utsav Mandal Central Avenue says that this one rule has dried up the funds that mandals would get from sponsors. “We have not been able to get any sponsors this year as we have no place to put their banners,” he complains. The bigger mandals see a spending of more than Rs10 lakh over ten days. “Requirements like getting security clearances and ID proofs for all volunteers staying at night in the pandals has added to our costs and there is no scope of getting funds,” Chinchole adds. “Real estate companies were the biggest sponsors at these events and most gates would be adorned with their banners,” says Amol Joshi of Laxmi Nagar Ganesh Utsav Mandal. “Since this year, gates are not being put up the funding has come down to less than half of what they gave three years back,” he adds.
Terming this discipline as essential, Vivek Dhakras of Dakshinamurti Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Mahal, says, “The activities of mandals had gone beyond festivities. Pandals extending to the centre of roads, loud music and unrelated activities had become a public nuisance. This had to be checked.” Agreeing that the single window system had glitches this year, Dhakras added, “If it does not improve next year, then of course a rethink will be required.”