Expect Bengal govt to seriously consider plea to ban Gangasagar Mela this year: Cal HC

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday said it expects the West Bengal government to seriously consider a plea to ban the Gangasagar Mela this year, owing to the severity of the spread of COVID-19, as the state said it will inform the court of its decision by Thursday.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice K D Bhutia, hearing a PIL seeking a stop on this year's Gangasagar Mela, noted the Advocate General's submission that the state authorities will consider the plea, and take an appropriate decision in respect of either banning the fair or taking measures to regulate the rush.

The bench said it has been assured by the Advocate General that the appropriate decision in this regard will be taken and the affidavit of the competent authority will be placed on record before the court by 2 pm on Thursday.

''Having regard to the severity of spreading of COVID virus, we expect that the state will seriously consider the plea to ban the Mela this year and take a decision in this regard,'' the bench said in its order.

The bench said the state government, while taking a decision, should keep in view an earlier order of the high court, holding that life is more important in every sense in comparison to religious practices, beliefs and faith.

''The state will duly take into account the positivity rate of virus and fact that within the last 24 hours there is 50 per cent increase in number of cases and also the fact that large number of doctors are already infected,'' it said.

Seeking a direction to the state government not to hold the annual Gangasagar Mela scheduled for January 8 to January 16 on the occasion of Makar Sankranti at Sagar Island, about 130 kms from Kolkata, the petitioner's counsel submitted that a large number of pilgrims gather there to take a holy dip and sometimes the footfall reaches upto 18 lakh.

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