Billiground, Oct 16: A dispute over loudspeaker permission for Durga Puja 2026 has emerged in Billiground, Middle Andaman, with the Sarbajanin Hari Mandir Durga Puja and Vegetable Market Committee approaching Lieutenant Governor Dr. Dinesh Sharma, alleging unequal conditions for the use of loudspeakers by different Puja committees.
In a representation dated October 16, Mr. Uttam Mondal, President of the committee, requested the Lieutenant Governor to intervene and advise the District Administration to grant his committee loudspeaker permission on the same terms and timings as those reportedly allowed to the Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee at Radha Govinda Mandir, Harinagar.
According to the representation, the committee had applied for loudspeaker permission on September 3, well ahead of the festival. However, the permission granted by the Executive Magistrate reportedly allows the use of a Bluetooth speaker from 6 AM to 9:45 PM and a Bluetooth loudspeaker from 7 PM to 10 PM. In contrast, the Radha Govinda Mandir committee has reportedly been permitted to use a loudspeaker from 6 AM to 10 PM.
Questioning the difference in the permission conditions, Mondal stated that Durga Puja had been celebrated peacefully in the area since the settlement of the Panchayats and that no law-and-order problem had been reported during previous celebrations. He said the restrictions could affect devotees’ ability to conduct cultural programmes and chant Devi Mantras during the festival.
The representation also raised concerns over the movement of heavy police contingents through Billiground Bazar, claiming that it had created anxiety among devotees and families. The committee further said that the restriction requiring all functions to close by 10 PM could affect unemployed youths who depend on temporary stalls for seasonal income during the festival.
Seeking an impartial review, the committee urged the Lieutenant Governor to ensure equal treatment for all Puja committees, reconsider the loudspeaker permission conditions and review police deployment in the area. It also assured the authorities that it would comply with applicable sound limits and public-order requirements.
A copy of the representation has also been forwarded to the Member of Parliament for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The allegations and concerns are based on the committee’s representation, and an official response from the District Administration was not included in the submitted document.
