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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished everyone a Happy New Year on Thursday and announced that January 1 would be a holiday, as it marks the Foundation Day of the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
She also mentioned that she would visit Ganga Sagar on January 6 to review the mela preparations. "I will go to Ganga Sagar on January 6 to review mela preparations and return on January 7. The TMC is completing 26 years on January 1. On that day, blood donation camps will be organised. It will be a holiday. On January 2, there will be an Administrative Review meeting at Nabanna", CM Mamata Banerjee said, Ganga Sagar is observed on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti, which generally falls between January 14 and 15 each year. "I will visit Sandeshkhali on December 30 for a public distribution program. I assured you earlier that I would visit Sandeshkhali, and I have fulfilled my commitment. From January 13 onwards, everyone will be heading towards the Ganga Sagar mela. The Bengal Business Summit will be held on February 5 and 6. Then, the Kolkata International Book Fair will be held on January 28. Many fairs are conducted throughout January, which will generate income for artisans," she added. The Ganga Sagar Mela attracts numerous spiritual devotees every year, especially those who come to take a dip in the sacred waters of the River Ganga at Sagardwip, where it merges with the Bay of Bengal. This year, the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) conducted a rescue operation by deploying hovercrafts from Haldia to rescue 182 pilgrims stranded on a grounded ferry near Namkhana, Kakdwip. The incident occurred in the early hours of January 16 when the pilgrims were returning from the Ganga Sagar Mela after taking a holy dip on Makar Sankranti. The ferry ran aground due to extremely poor visibility. "At about 0530 hrs on January 16, a message was received from the District Magistrate of South 24 Paraganas at Coast Guard District Headquarters No. 8 in West Bengal, informing about the grounding of the ferry near Kakdwip. The ferry vessel, MV Swasthya Sathi, was carrying around 400 pilgrims from Ganga Sagar Mela on Sagar Island to Kakdwip," an official statement issued by the Indian Coast Guard read. (ANI)
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