Announcement of Differently Abled & Senior Citizen Friendly Covid Safe Durgotsab Award 2021 organised by NIP NGO

Kolkata, 25th September, 2021: NIP NGO - An Education & Cultural Centre for the Blind & other Differently Abled in collaboration with Forum for Durgotsab, Rotary District 3291 & Narayan Memorial Hospital have come up with organizing awards for Puja committees who are taking an endeavor to make their Pandals friendly for Senior Citizens and the Disabled along with maintaining the Covid Protocols. 

350 Durga Puja Committees would be participating for the same. The event was graced by the presence of several eminent personalities like: Suparna Sengupta, Ceo Narayan Memorial Hospital; Dibyendu Barua, Chess Grandmaster; Debshankar Haldar, Actor; Samir Aich, Painter; Mallar Ghosh, Music Director; Partho Ghosh, Forum for Durgotsab; Prabir Chatterjee, District Governor(Rotary 3291); Dr. Prasun Kumar Mitra, Critical Care Consultant of Narayan Memorial Hospital & many others. 

NIP, Non-profit & Non-govt. organisation, had started it's journey in 2002. 

From the very beginning it has been striving for the socio-cultural & economic development of the Persons with Disabilities. In 2012 NIP received State Award from the Department of Women & Child Development &Social Welfare, Govt.of West Bengal for it's outstanding achievement in this field. It was NIP who first realised that the Persons with Disabilities are deprived of enjoying the greatest religious festival of Bengal, i.e.Durga Puja. Puja Pandals are inaccessible not only for the Persons with Disabilities but also for the Senior Citizens.

In 2010, in association with Forum for Durgotsab NIP has been doing accessibility survey and awarding the best Puja Committee for creation of barrier free & senior citizen friendly Pandals. Besides, NIP publishes Puja parikrama guide in braille for the visually challenged & arranges for Pandal hopping Programmes for the Persons with Disabilities.

Mr. Debajyoti Roy, Secretary of NIP says, "At present a good number of Puja Committees are complying with the accessibility guidelines. The challenge for every crowd-puller puja committee will be how to strike a balance so that the pandals are built maintaining aesthetics while following social distancing along with all covid safety protocols. Let us enjoy Puja responsibly this year.

Mr. Partho Ghosh & Mr. Saswata Bose on behalf of the Forum for Durgotsab Committee said, "This year every organiser/member of the committee has been requested to comply with the Covid Protocols as well as accessibility guidelines for free & easy movements of the persons with disabilities and senior citizens.

Speaking on the occasion Mrs. Suparna Sengupta , CEO, Narayan Memorial Hospital (Behala) said, “It’s a proud moment for us to be selected by NIP to set  pandal protocols for enlisted Puja Committees. We know how resourceful and effective is NIP in their work field and for them to select us is extremely motivational for a young and emerging hospital like us. We’re happy that our sincerity and hard work are yielding results and we’re getting noticed." She further added, “The third wave is knocking at our doors and as a result we need to be extra cautious while moving out and especially, while doing pandal hopping. Hence, we recommend all the Puja Committees to plan pandals as per our rigid protocols so that visitors can attend and soak in the festivities and fervour under restrictive yet protective environment. We request the Puja Committees to whole-heartedly support us in this mission.”

This year NIP in it's Jury Team has included Medical Personnel for monitoring the Covid norms in & around Puja Pandals. Suparna Sengupta (CEO), Narayan Memorial Hospital stated that a Medical Team of Narayan Hospital will judge whether the Covid Protocols are complied with. Prabir Chatterjee, District Governor(Rotary 3291) acclaimed this unique & great endeavour of NIP and assured whole-hearted co-operation of Rotary Club.