State plans special puja tours to woo foreign tourists

Kolkata: The state government, gearing up for Durga Puja, is set to rope in tour operators to increase the footfall of foreign tourists this year. Buoyed by the Unesco tag of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the state also plans to showcase the 100 best pujas at the Red Road carnival this year, along with cultural shows with foreign tourists as the target audience.“Our CM Mamata Banerjee had conceived the Red Road carnival to increase the tourist flow to Bengal and after the Unesco tag she had been trying to make an all out effort to hard sell Bengal,” said tourism minister Indranil Sen. This time the tourism department is tying up with tour operators with special puja package offers which range from Rs 1,999 to Rs 3,499. This is to draw in more overseas tourists during the puja, an official said, adding that they are also arranging visits to some of the best pandals of the city. Sen said the target is to increase the footfall of tourists during puja and for which they are focusing on Durga Puja’s religious and cultural aspects. The tourist department’s restaurants too are being decked up to cater the best dishes of Bengal for foodies. An official said that for the first time they had set up tour packages for Durga Puja. The tourism department will start their pre Durga Puja tour package from Tritiya (Oct 17). Tourism secretary Nandini Chakravorty said, “The tour packages will be given to 1,000 tour operators for selling these packages.”

Ronaldinho to visit Kolkata during Durga Puja

Retired Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho is set to visit Kolkata during the Durga Puja festival. He is expected to be in the city between October 15-19 and may participate in a charity match, visit a football clinic, and inaugurate a statue of Lionel Messi. Ronaldinho, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, will also attend sponsor events and visit the nearby town of Rishra. He already has a football academy, the R10 Academy, in Kolkata.

A month before Durga Puja, scamsters in West Bengal target buyers credit cards

Cyber cells in Kolkata are receiving complaints of credit card fraud, with fraudsters targeting women by promising to increase their credit card limit or issue a new zero-fee credit card as part of Durga Puja packages. In one incident, a woman lost Rs 68,000 after being persuaded to share card details. However, the cybercrime team successfully traced the money and returned it to the victim. Police have warned people to be cautious and not trust random callers or unverified websites when sharing banking details.

Protect forest message to go out from Salt Lake Durga Puja pandal to sensitise people

The CE Block Durga Puja in Salt Lake, Kolkata has collaborated with the Bengal Forest Department to raise awareness about the vulnerable state of the Sundarbans and the environmental threat to Kolkata. The puja committee aims to educate the masses about the importance of mangroves in safeguarding the future of the city. The pandal will be transformed into a replica of the Sundarbans, with traditional artwork and exhibits. The forest department is actively participating to create awareness about the need to save the Sundarbans.