West Bengal: Ministers deployed for clean and safe Gangasagar Mela

KOLKATA: With the upcoming Gangasagar Mela, the West Bengal Government is pulling up their socks to put together a great show. Keeping in mind the huge footfall of pilgrims, the mela records, the state government has deputed a team of seven ministers at Sagar Islands for the four days of the fair that takes of January 15.

The team of seven ministers will be 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, will be deputed at Kopchuberia.

There would be another team of ministers that would include the minister 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 would be stationed at Harwood Point.

Mayor Sovan Chatterjee would also be present at the fair premises.

Almost 500000 odd pilgrims are expected at Gangasagar Mela this year. Security has also been beefed up with special force being deputed for all for days of holy revelries. Keeping in mind environment issues, 10,000 toilets have been set up on the ground put of which some are temporary, some permanent and the rest mobile. ‘Green clean Sagar mela’ is the theme for the fair this year. The idea, according to the district administration, is to prevent pollution.