Kolkata: West Bengal government's plea against the inclusion of the opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari in the three-member Covid-19 monitor monitoring committee for Gangasagar Mela 2022 has been accepted by the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday. The monitoring committee was formed on January 7 to compliance with the restrictions for Gangasagar Mela 2022. The court scrapped the earlier three-member committee and formed a new committee comprised of retired justice Samapti Chattopadhyay and a member of the State Legal Service Authority.
The division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Kesang Doma Bhutia said that pilgrims with negative RT-PCR tests done 72 hours ahead should be allowed to enter the Sagar Islands. The committee will oversee the situation and suggest to the state government whether to cancel the event or go ahead with it.
The Calcutta High Court at the same time stated that people who have completed two doses of COVID-19 vaccines and a negative RT-PCR negative report done 72 hours before the journey will only be allowed to enter the event venue.
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The state health and family welfare secretary will ensure that strict regulation of crowds to maintain social distancing. The committee will ensure the state to take measures for safeguarding the health of the pilgrims visiting here. Earlier on January 7, 2022, the Calcutta High Court gave conditional approval to the state government to go ahead with Gangasagar Mela. On Tuesday the court again gave the nod to continue with the event. The court has directed that the state administration to declare the entire Sagar Islands as a restricted zone.
