Kolkata: It may sound unbelievable but over 3,000 Durga Puja organisers have requested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to inaugurate their Pujas. It has been learnt that over 10,000 Puja organisers all over the country, out of which 3,000 are from Bengal, have requested her either to inaugurate their Puja or be present on any of the four days. The organisers have contacted her from Delhi, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand. Banerjee had inaugurated the community Pujas a day after Mahalaya in 2018. Despite her busy schedule, she had penned the theme song of Suruchi Sangha organised by Aroop Biswas, state minister for Sports and Youth Services. For many years, Banerjee is used to drawing the eyes of Goddess Durga at Chetla Agrani. In 2018, she had inaugurated 75 Durga Pujas. Many Puja organisers have used "Didi Ke Bolo" platform to place their requests. Many have requested her to write a few lines for their souvenir. Under the Chief Ministers initiative, Bengals very own Durga Puja has turned global. Banerjee introduced Durga Puja Carnival in 2016. Before immersion, the best Pujas in the city take part in the Carnival presenting cultural shows. The heads of different Consulates along with important persons in the city are invited for the grand show. Some of the artefacts are preserved and kept at the Eco Park museum in New Town. It may be mentioned that the National Geographic Channel had covered the Carnival in 2018. Banerjee took the initiative to give Rs 25,000 to the clubs hosting the Puja. The committees are making themes based on the state governments schemes like Safe Drive Save Life, Save Water Save Life and Save Green Stay Clean. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will use the Durga Puja platform to create awareness against vector-borne diseases. The civic authorities have given free posters and leaflets to the Puja organisers and those carrying out cleaning operation in their locality during the Pujas will be given cash award by Mayor Firhad Hakim.

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