January 14, 2016
State takes all measures for convenience of pilgrims at Gangasagar Mela
The West Bengal Government has taken huge precautionary measures to avert any untoward incident during this year’s Gangasagar Mela.
A team of seven ministers, led by state panchayat affairs and rural development minister Subrata Mukherjee, the state housing and youth affairs minister Arup Biswas and state power minister Manish Gupta, is deputed at Kopchuberia. Also, a team of four ministers consisting of state urban development and municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim, state irrigation minister Rajib Banerjee, minister of state for minority affairs Giasuddin Mollah and state Sunderbans affairs minister Manturam Pakhira are stationed at Harwood Point.
In one of the biggest religious cogregations in the country, pilgrims look pleased this year. With the setting up of bio-toilets, West Bengal government has kept its promise of going eco-friendly at the ongoing Gangasagar Mela.
Making the area free from open-defecation, women and men can be seen using the bio-toilets giving a positive response to the initiative. With security being beefed up, drones are being used to keep check on the crowd.
The Ganga Sagar Mela is one of the biggest religious festivals of the country that started Tuesday. Thousands of pilgrims descend on Sagar Island, a part of the Sunderbans archipelago in South 24 Parganas district, to observe Makar Sankranti in January every year.
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee is expected to visit the Mela to take stock of the arrangements and also offer her prayers at Kapilmuni Ashram.
