KOLKATA: Probably for the first time, the Indian Railways had to change or cancel its pre-scheduled trains just to stop crowds from flocking at a particular community Puja pandal.
The community puja in limelight is Sreebhumi Sporting Club in the northern side of Kolkata, which proudly proclaims to be enjoying the patronage of influential Trinamool Congress leader Sujit Basu. On late Wednesday night, the police had to intervene to block the entry of the crowds to the pandal in the backdrop of the apprehension of the post-Puja COVID-19 super-spreader.
On Tuesday morning after discussion with the Bidhannagar Police Commiserate officials, it was decided that the entry of visitors to this particular community puja would be barred for the remaining time till the idols are there in the pandals. If that was not enough, even the Eastern Railways had to step in. All Sealdah-bound down staff-special trains were barred from stopping at Bidhannagar railway station, the nearest railway station to Sreebhumi Sporting. "This was done to ensure that revelers availing train services do not get the chance to alight at the nearest station to the Puja," said an Eastern Railway official. At the same time service of seven special trains were totally cancelled.
This year Sreebhumi's puja, which is quite close to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, was in the midst of controversy and also gained popularity. Popularity because the puja pandal was a replica of Dubai's Burj Khalifa. Naturally, the idea attracted the attention of the revelers more than other pandals.
