State will facilitate smooth, magnificient Thrissur Pooram festival: Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 24 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Monday that the state government is committed to facilitate smooth and magnificent celebration of Thrissur Pooram, a festival that reflects Kerala’s rich cultural heritage.

Responding to a query in the Assembly, Vijayan said that his government has taken every measure to avoid any kind of uncertainty in the conduct of the annual festival.

All departments have been directed to initiate adequate measures for the smooth conduct of Pooram.

“Steps are being taken by the District Police Chief to formulate an action plan on time involving other departments,” he added.

For the first time in the history of Thrissur Pooram, last year the highly anticipated fireworks display was postponed from the early hours to the following day and conducted in broad daylight, which disappointed many festival enthusiasts.

The alleged interference of the police in the Pooram festivities and the delayed display of fireworks triggered sharp political reactions in the state as opposition Congress and BJP criticised the LDF government over the issue.

“A high-level meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister on March 1, 2025, reviewed proposals to organise the world-renowned festival seamlessly, with a special focus on security arrangements,” he added.

The meeting also addressed the challenges in implementing the provisions of the Gazette Notification issued by the Central Government.

A letter signed by the Chief Minister and other officials has been sent to Union Minister Piyush Goyal, urging necessary interventions to resolve the concerns.

According to Vijayan, the amendments brought by the Union Government in the Explosive Act on October 11, 2024 requires strict restrictions on firecracker display in various places of worship including Thrissur Pooram.