Delhi CM Rekha Gupta Announces Free Electricity For Ramlila Pandals

(MENAFN- IANS) New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday announced that committees organising Ramlila performances in the city will be provided 1,200 units of electricity free of cost by the government, along with reduced amounts as security for land allotment.

After meeting representatives of Ramlila and Durga Puja organising committees, the CM announced that one day during Ramlila and Durga Puja celebrations will be dedicated to honour Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as part of the Seva Pakhwada beginning on 17 September (PM Modi's 75th birthday) and continuing till 2 October (Gandhi Jayanti).

The Chief Minister further explained that all the No Objection Certificates (NOCs) required by organising committees from departments such as the DDA, MCD, Delhi Jal Board, Fire Services, and others would now be granted under a single-window system.

Around 600 Ramlilas are staged annually across the city, with 100 of them organised on a grand scale.

Additionally, the security deposit for land allocation has already been reduced from Rs 20 per square metre to Rs 15 per square metre, she said.

The organising committees will now pay only 25 per cent of the security deposit for electricity connections, significantly reducing earlier charges.

She said that with the Navratri beginning on 22 September, large-scale Ramlila performances will take place across Delhi, and this reform will ensure that all formalities will now be resolved at the district level through the District Magistrate's office.

Earlier, in a landmark step towards preserving and promoting the city's rich cultural and religious heritage, the Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, convened a meeting with Ramlila and Durga Puja committees at the Delhi Secretariat.

The meeting was attended by Cabinet Ministers Ashish Sood and Kapil Mishra, along with senior officials from various departments and respected representatives of the festival committees.

In recent years, Ramlila organisers faced challenges such as delays in securing land and difficulties in obtaining various permissions. Now, through the new single-window system headed by the District Magistrate, all necessary NOCs for Ramlila performances will be issued from one place.

Sharing other announcements for organising committees, the CM said a six-member committee will be formed to promptly resolve any festival-related issues and comprehensive arrangements at festival venues will include cleanliness drives, fogging, sanitation facilities, medical support, fire safety, police deployment, and traffic management.

Addressing committee members, the Chief Minister urged the organisers to use Ramlila and Durga Puja platforms to spread important messages in the national and public interest.

She said:“Messages on environmental issues and appeals in the interest of the nation should be conveyed to the public, either before the performance begins or at its conclusion, so that people take home a positive message.”

She also requested that during Navratri, as part of the Seva Pakhwada being run by the Delhi Government, some activities such as medical camps, cleanliness drives, and awareness programmes should be organised at Ramlila venues.

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