Mamata Banerjee inaugurates Durga Puja pandal in Kolkata; lauds police, announces 'Durgangan' project

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], September 25 (ANI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday inaugurated the Durga Puja pandal at Alipore Bodyguard Lines in Kolkata, praising the police for their dedication during festivals and disasters. She highlighted their service, including setting up relief camps and community kitchens, and announced the naming of a new ambulance as "Sebashree."
CM Banerjee also expressed her desire for more women in the police force, recalled past efforts to address waterlogging in the area, and urged people to ignore negativity.
Addressing the event, she said, "I want to tell my police family that the world cannot run without you. During any festival, you hardly get time at home. In every disaster, you are the first to step in, and despite that, nobody hears complaints from you. Salute to all of you, and salute to my police family. I have seen during many disasters that the police set up relief camps, community kitchen centres, and do so much service work. Even from their own funds, the bodyguard line has brought an ambulance. They asked me to give it a name, so I thought of one and named it "Sebashree." The way you have highlighted Jagannath Dham during this Puja, despite being busy with so much work, and still managing to create such a theme, makes you the best."
CM Banerjee emphasised increasing women's representation in the police force and recalled her efforts to address waterlogging in the area during her tenure as an MP from Jadavpur.
"In the coming days, I want to see more women's forces in the police. When I was the MP from Jadavpur, I used to come to the Bodyguard Line by boat to see the waterlogging. There used to be a lot of water here, but after many complaints, when we came to power, this place was restructured. Even though I gave instructions, Bobby (Mayor Firhad Hakim) and all of you together have beautified this place. There are always some people who only want to spread negativity and criticism. Do not listen to them. Even I face abuses every day, but still, I continue to work relentlessly," she said.
Banerjee also stressed communal harmony and respect for all languages, expressing concern over the disrespect shown to Bengali. She announced plans for a world-class "Durgangan" project, with land and approvals already secured, set to be constructed within two years. "I believe in communal harmony. I respect all religions, languages, and communities. But when our own language is disrespected, it hurts my heart. Just as we have recognised languages like Rajbanshi and Hindi, I expect equal respect for our own language as well. Within the next two years, we will build a Durgangan, which will be world-class, similar to Jagannath Dham. The land has been identified, cabinet approval has been given, and the trust has also been formed. Now we are waiting for its construction to begin," she said. (ANI)