Kolkata, Oct. 15 -- Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday inaugurated Durga Puja pandals in Murshidabad as part of his festive outreach in the district. He cautioned organisers to remain alert to possible attempts to disrupt the celebrations and urged them to take precautions against accidents.
Pointing out that 800 new Durga Pujas are being organised in Murshidabad, the CM asked organisers in the sensitive district to remain vigilant and ensure that troublemakers do not disrupt the festivities.
The CM said that 'Murshidabad has the highest number of enemy properties in the state', with 1,728 such properties. He said the government would undertake geo-tagging of these properties and explore their commercial use and tourism potential while adding that enemy properties handed over to the state by the Centre would be utilised for the development of the district.
Inaugurating a Durga Puja in the Lalbagh area of Murshidabad district, the CM stated that cattle and drug smuggling along the border areas have largely decreased, fencing work near Murshidabad is underway, and police and BSF are working in coordination to prevent infiltration.
The CM said cattle smuggling and cough syrup smuggling had declined due to increased vigilance and added that the government aimed to make Murshidabad drug-free and that border fencing would help curb cattle smuggling and trafficking.
"Cough syrup bottles, fake notes, heroin, opium and cattle used to be smuggled to Bangladesh...
We are committed to totally eliminate smuggling... We have also stopped cross-border infiltration and trafficking of girls," he said.
He also urged parents not to marry off their daughters before the age of 18, pointing out that child marriage is illegal. "I appeal to everyone to help us save the girls," he said.
The CM also announced plans to set up a new ITI, start a morning college and increase the number of beds at Lalbagh Hospital. He directed the district magistrate to identify land for the proposed college and said a morning college would soon begin operating from the existing college. He instructed officials to complete the development works by December.
Adhikari began his programme in Lalbagh, where he inaugurated a Durga Puja organised by state minister Gouri Shankar Ghosh. He then travelled to Berhampore to visit a Puja organised by Rejinagar MLA Sakharav Sarkar. During the day, the CM also interacted with political leaders and local Puja organisers.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.