Dharwad: In a surprise turn to the ban on PoP idols, District In-charge Minister Vinay Kulkarni has shown leniency towards giving exemption to such idols this year. However, Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanahalli has said the district administration would not allow the installation of PoP idols.
Vinay Kulkarni overruling the district administration and the KSPCB orders on banning PoP idols, has said the installation of PoP idols would be allowed this year. This decision came after a delegation of PoP idol makers met him here on August 21 and appealed to him to allow them to sell PoP idols.
Bowing down to their pressure, the minister directed the district authorities to allow installing PoP idols this year, but enforce ban orders from next year. However, Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanahalli has already declared the ban on PoP idols.
The Supreme Court in its order last year had asked all the state governments to ban PoP idols. As per the order, the district administration and the KSPCB had strictly imposed ban on PoP idols and they had declared it in the first week of April itself. Now, the direction of the minister to allow sale and installation of PoP idols, with just four days remaining for the Ganesh festival, has caused embarrassment to the district administration.