Kolkata: State Transport minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced a slew of services in the city for pandal-hoppers. "There will be additional buses and tram facilities on the days of Pujas till late night to ensure that people are not inconvenienced by any means," said Adhikari after unveiling the Puja Parikrama booklet containing details of the special arrangements of all the transport Corporations. Chairman of West Bengal Transport Corporation (WBTC) Rachhpal Singh and Managing Director of WBTC N S Nigam were also present at the occasion. The minister also announced a number special Puja packages for people visiting Purulia, Durgapur, Bankura, Siuri, Arambagh and Jhargram. Immersions in rivers at Kalna and Damodar will also be part of the itinerary. In addition, this year people will get the opportunity to behold old and traditional Pujas held in the households in Hooghly and immersion riding on roro vessels on the Ichamati river at Taki in North 24-Parganas. Durga idols immersion at Ichamati is a great spectacle for tourists. At the end of the Durga Puja, on Vijaya Dashami, the river at Taki, offers a unique spectacle when boats crammed with people from both India and Bangladesh converge to immerse their respective idols. Boats of all shapes and sizes can be seen on the river and people from both the nations wave flags of their respective countries. Pujas in New Town and Salt Lake have also been added as a part of the package of the Transport department. This apart, Pujas held at "Snehodiya" — the seniors citizens habitat in New Town — will also be a part of this package. "The Transport department is making all possible arrangements for hassle-free pandal hopping for the Kolkatans. Puja revelers will soak in the festive spirit of some of the leading Pujas in the districts," the minister said. While, 1,600 special buses will ply in and across the city, the pre-booking of the tickets can be done via online or at WBTC depots. Passengers availing one-day Puja package tickets will be able to visit all the major Pujas.

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