Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Monday refused to relax the two-day limit for playing loudspeakers at commercial garba mandals during the upcoming Navratri festival.
He, however, allowed for traditional instruments to be used within the prescribed decibel limit at neighbourhood mandals until midnight.
"The chief minister said it was not possible to extend the midnight deadline beyond the sanctioned two days this season.
"However, he assured that the request for use of loudspeakers till midnight for three days during the nine-day festival will be positively considered for the next year," Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam told reporters after meeting Chavan.
Nirupam, along with a delegation of party workers and garba festival organisers, met Chavan demanding extension of the deadline for playing loudspeakers to three days instead of the existing two.
"Chavan told us that instruction will be given to the departments concerned for permitting traditional instruments till midnight without loudspeakers. But these instruments should not cross the decibel limits," Nirupam said.
PTI
