Kolkata, Oct 9 (NationPress) Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim has instructed Durga Puja organisers and local businesses to promptly dismantle all promotional banners, hoardings, and bamboo structures erected for the Durga Puja festivities in Kolkata.

This directive follows reports indicating that numerous puja organisers have yet to remove these advertisements and clear the space occupied by pandals, even after the conclusion of Lakshmi Puja.

A senior official from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) stated on Thursday that action will be taken against puja committees that do not allow public access to their premises or fail to clear bamboo structures from the sidewalks, which were set up to manage crowds or visitors to the mandaps.

The official remarked, "Last night, the Mayor informed the municipality that both pedestrians and vehicles are encountering difficulties due to bamboo structures remaining outside puja mandaps. Banners, hoardings, and bamboo structures have not yet been cleared from several sidewalks. In light of this, the Mayor has mandated the immediate removal of such structures to restore Kolkata to its prior condition."

Although idols have been immersed across the city from north to south, in some areas the mandapams are partially open, yet the dais remains. In various locations, bamboo is still scattered, and large advertising structures, banners, and hoardings continue to be present.

It is important to note that the KMC had set a 14-day timeline for Durga Puja committees to reopen parks that were utilized for puja pandals after idol immersion.

This decision was made after observing that many parks remain closed for extended periods post-Durga Puja due to delays in dismantling mandap structures, causing inconvenience to the public.

However, this year, the KMC is insisting that puja organisers remove structures without delay, particularly before Kali Puja later this month.