Kolkata Sep 24 PTI Several organisations have joined hands for an initiative to make visits to Durga puja pandals of Kolkata more enjoyable to the differently-abled people and senior citizens maintaining Covid-19 protocols those involved with the programme saidAn NGO in collaboration with the apex body of community Durga Pujas in the city a private hospital and the Rotary club announced an award for the best environment created in a puja pandal for differently-abled and senior citizens in compliance with Covid protocolsAround 350 puja committees including several crowd-pulling ones have enrolled their names in this initiative said Debajyoti Roy the secretary of NIP the NGO while announcing the award on ThursdayEvery member of ours has been requested to comply with the Covid protocols as well as follow accessibility guidelines for free and easy movement of persons with disabilities and senior citizens said Partha Ghosh an executive committee member of Forum for Durgotsab the apex platform of around 600 community pujasThe jury team which will include medical personnel will wrap up the visit to the pandals by Mahasasthi which heralds the four-day festivalThere will be separate entrance and exit gates for the differently abled people and a ramp to reach the pandal Wheelchairs will also be available Besides specially designed braille facility will be there for the visually impaired people to feel the interiors said Arijit Moitra of Samajsebi Sangha which is taking part in the initiativeOn maintaining Covid protocols he said there will be oxygen cylinders pulse oximeters and ambulance in the pandal apart from a 24x7 help desk manned by medical personnel to treat any emergency he saidOn behalf of another participant Bhawanipore 75 Pally Subir Das said there will be separate entrances and exits and wheelchairs for the differently-abled and elderly peopleHe said there will also be a medical camp close to the pandalWelcoming the move Saptak Adhikary a youth with walking difficulty said Most of the puja committees do not make provisions for people like us to move freely inside pandals If such measures are taken we can have darshan of the deity in a better manner The NIP secretary said many puja committees follow the required guidelines nowBut this time it is a challenge for all of them to maintain the proper atmosphere inside the pandal Roy said PTI SUS NN NN

Kolkata Aug 26 PTI Eminent Bengali elocutionist Gouri Ghosh died on Thursday at a private hospital in the city due to severe neurological problem after suffering a brain stroke family sources said She was 83 Ghosh wife of another critically acclaimed elocutionist Partha Ghosh died at 9 am after being in ventilation for several days since her admission to the hospital on August 1 they said She is survived by her husband and son Ayan Ghosh Ayan told reporters his mother suffered a brain stroke in March but recovered well after being treated at a hospital and returned home However she had convulsions on August 1 and got admitted to hospital again Condoling Ghoshs demise West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said her unique recitals will always be remembered by the countless listeners poetry enthusiasts Banerjee recalled the long stints of Gouri Ghosh with All India Radio Kolkata as announcer-presenter of programmes her recitals aired and the bestowing of Kaji Sabyasachi Samman on her by the West Bengal government in 2018 Another popular elocutionist Bratati Bandyopadhyay said she was like my mother I recall how she had repeatedly cautioned me about maintaining safety protocols when COVID-19 first struck We used to talk over the phone regularly She added Ghoshs pronunciation of words and the way she expressed the spirit of a poem was motivational for elocutionists of next generations Gouri Ghoshs recital of Tagores timeless Karna Kunti Sangbad with husband Partha Ghosh had been one of the hugely popular albums of the couple for over a decade PTI SUS RG RG