A day after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged to organize a cleanliness competition, Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) on Monday announced a 'Swachh' competition among the Durga Puja committees in the city.

As per this competition, the Durga Puja committees will have to maintain cleanliness in the puja mandaps. They will have to impose a ban on the use of plastics in the mandaps, sources informed.

The committees will be awarded with a cash prize along with certificates. The following prize money will awarded to the winners:

• First prize will be awarded to 25 puja committees with Rs. 10,000 cash

• Second prize will be given to 50 committees with Rs. 7,000 cash

• Third prize will be awarded to 100 committees with Rs. 5,000 cash

It has come to the fore that no one from the concerned department will be allowed to be involved in the competition assuring transparency, however, the contest will be monitored by separate third-party persons.

The winners will be announced on October 28 and 29.

On Sunday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged for a cleanliness competition after Maa Durga’s visarjan. He said, “We are going to organize Durga Puja wholeheartedly in several parts of the state this year, however, after Maa Durga’s Visarjan it is noticed that the puja mandap is left unclean. Don’t you feel that it would make Maa Durga unhappy thinking that after her departure, the place is covered with dirt?”

“It is often seen that people organize competitions during Durga Puja in various categories including Best Lightning, Best Idol, Best Pandal and so on. Puja committees having a huge budget will organize in a grand way while the ones with a lower budget will organize in a minimal way but the enthusiasm and devotion to welcome Maa Durga are the same among the people. The devotees offer their prayers to the Maa Durga across the state irrespective of how big or attractive the idols are. So, why not this year a cleanliness competition is organized after Maa Durga’s Visarjan? This will help to encourage keeping the puja mandap clean after the Durga Puja festival is over,” he urged.