Karnataka - Belgaum   

Steps to ensure peaceful idol immersion

Staff Correspondent

Ganesh mandals urged to complete immersion of idols by 10 p.m.

BELGAUM: The concerns of the district administration, particularly of the police department, to ensure peace and communal harmony throughout the 10-day Ganesha festivities, that commenced on Thursday, were reviewed at the coordination committee meeting, presided over by newly-elected Mayor Vijay Pandurang More. Prominent among those who attended the meeting included Lok Sabha member Suresh C. Angadi, Ramesh L. Kudachi, MLA, and Superintendent of Police Hemant Nimbalkar. The meeting was convened by the Mayor to chalk out steps to ensure peaceful celebration of the Ganesha festivities and the immersion procession to be held on September 17, in the light of a disturbance in Kamat Galli on Thursday night.

Civic conditions

Though the meeting deliberated on civic conditions, particularly bad roads, and irregular power supply to Ganesh mandals, the Mayor assured the meeting of convincing the mandals to commence the immersion procession in the morning as suggested by Mr. Nimbalkar. The suggestion was made from the point of concluding the procession by 10 p.m. Mr. Angadi and Mr. Kudachi, who advocated early commencement of the procession, said people have become apprehensive about the Ganesha procession in the light of communal disturbances arising out these processions and, therefore, the turnout was negligible. The turnout was virtually nil after dark. Mr. More directed officials of the Belgaum City Corporation to fill the potholes, particularly those on the route of immersion procession at the earliest.

Earlier, Peerzade pointed out that damage to the Ganesh idol on Thursday was not because of stone pelting by miscreants, but due to a one-foot pothole in Kamat Galli.

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