The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, chaired the first ministerial meeting of the National Task Force for the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and the Shri Venkateshwara Pooja 2022, on Thursday evening, in Port Louis.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo; the Vice-Prime Minister, Minister of Local Government and Disaster Risk Management, Dr Mohammad Anwar Husnoo; the Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Georges Pierre Lesjongard; the Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Mr Avinash Teeluck; and several Ministers and Members of Parliament were in attendance.
Several representatives from Governmental institutions and socio-cultural associations were present to discuss and share their proposals to ensure the success of the religious ceremonies.
In a statement, Prime Minister Jugnauth said that the meeting has been scheduled well in advance to ensure that all stakeholders get ample time to carry out necessary infrastructural works including embellishment, dredging, resurfacing and cleaning.
The Task Force, he added, will consider as far as possible the proposals put forth by the stakeholders so that their demands and requirements are duly met.
Prime Minister Jugnauth reassured the representatives of the socio-cultural associations that the festivals will take place within the best conditions while stressing on the importance to strictly adhere to the sanitary protocols put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Government, he highlighted, will provide updated information on the number of people to access religious places depending on the evolution of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
Mr Jugnauth appealed to the socio-cultural organisations to create awareness among the various segments of the population as regard the vaccination campaign of the second booster dose as well as for children aged five to eleven years old for the overall wellbeing of each and everyone.
Ganesh Chaturthi festival will be celebrated at national level on 1st September 2022, while the Shri Venkateshwara Pooja will be held from 28 August to 06 October 2022, for a duration of 40 days.
