NASHIK: The first bullock cart race organised at Ojhar yesterday following the Supreme Court’s nod to resume the bullock cart racing in the state; was cancelled by the organisers following failure to seek permission from District Collector. As soon as District Collector Suraj Mandhare signaled strict action against the organisers, the latter cancelled the race citing violation of Covid-19 guidelines.
The race organised without permission shall cost the organisers heavily as the collector has warned of strict action against them. Also, in one of the bullock carts, as one bull fell, the other lost control and entered the nearby parking.
This scenario created a tense situation among audience, and the crowd started spreading hastily. As this particular race created chaos, the crowd gathered at one place, and organisers faced issues in managing them. Also, the organisers went on with the race yesterday (on Saturday) despite Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray issuing new guidelines on Friday night.
Many citizens, including former Shiv Sena MLA Anil Kadam, were present at the race’s inauguration ceremony. Following Mandhare’s statement of strict action, the organisers took a step back and cancelled the race immediately.
Even though the Supreme Court approved the race’s resumption, the organisers need to take prior permission from police and district administration. Various organisations inspect various aspects before providing the required permission.
A minor accident occurred at the venue as the bull who got out of control injured one, followed by the race’s cancellation.
The race was cancelled on the grounds of permission, violation of pandemic guidelines, and a minor accident. Now, the whole of Maharashtra awaits the administration’s action against the organisers. As per sources, once the police left the venue after dispersing the crowd, organisers had resumed racing once again.
