Register on online portal to sell Ganesh idols: Govt to vendors

Panaji: To put an end to the sale of plaster of Paris (PoP) idols brought in from neighbouring states in Goa for sale during Ganesh Chaturthi, Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has issued new norms.

Now, GSPCB has said it will develop and maintain a portal, and only vendors who have registered on this portal by July 15 of every year will be able to sell Ganesh idols in Goa.Vendors will be required to upload details on the portal such as location of sale, source from which the idols are procured, number of idols proposed to be procured, the expected date of import or arrival at the Goa border, etc. They will also have to submit an undertaking that their idols are made of chikan mati or clay or shadu mati and that they do not contain PoP content of more than 20%.The vendors will also have to inform GSPCB of the number of idols unsold after the Ganesh festival and the proposed method of storage or disposal of these idols.The Board has said that all chief officers of the municipal councils, commissioner of CCP, and secretaries of the village panchayats have to provide the list of chitrashalas in their jurisdiction with details such as address, the name of the owner of chitrashalas, and contact numbers to the Goa Handicrafts Rural and Small-Scale Industries (GHRSSIDC), to GSPCB, and the office of the concerned deputy collector on or before April 30 of the year.

GSPCB will then jointly conduct inspections of the chitrashalas starting one month prior to Ganesh Chaturthi, along with GHRSSIDC and a representative from the deputy collector's office.If a chitrashala is found operating without the registration, the premises shall be sealed, and the vendor shall be directed to complete the registration process by paying a late fee of Rs 3,000. GSPCB will also collect samples from the said premises and send them for analysis.“Samples shall be collected from the chitrashalas and submitted to the laboratory of GSPCB for analysis. In the event that any idols are found to be in contravention of the prescribed limits of PoP content, the vendor shall be liable to pay a penalty of Rs 25,000,” GSPCB has said.Any idols determined to be non-compliant shall be, at the cost and responsibility of the vendor, transported to and disposed of at an authorised common hazardous waste disposal facility, the Board has said.“The vendor shall, within 15 (fifteen) days from the date of such disposal, submit a duly issued disposal compliance certificate to GSPCB. Failure to comply with the aforesaid requirement shall render the vendor liable to an additional penalty of Rs 50,000,” the order read.Also, the director (municipal administration) and director (panchayats) will have to provide details of all immersion/visarjan sites within their area with GPS coordinates, name of wards, type of water body, etc, on the GSPCB portal on or before May 30 of the concerned year.