QUEPEM: The highly anticipated sale of the annual donation coupons by the Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Quepem, had to be postponed due to an unmanageable rush of people. The sale is now scheduled to take place on Monday, with a potential shift to a new venue at the Quepem Govt College Hall.
President of Quepem’s Sarvanjanik Ganesh Ustav, Itchit Phaldesai acknowledged that the event led to a massive influx of people seeking to purchase the lottery tickets. The rush began as early as 5.30 am, and a considerable number of women were also seen queuing up to acquire the tickets, after which a separate queue was organised for women, to ensure orderly proceedings.
Phaldesai explained that the counter gates were opened promptly at 8 am, as the chief guests, who inaugurated the lottery, concluded their speeches within half an hour.
However, despite their efforts, the situation quickly spiralled out of control as many attendees succumbed to the temptation to buy lottery tickets out of turn. This chaotic turn of events put immense pressure on the committee members and the volunteers, who were trying to guide the crowd and manage the situation.
Phaldesai added that the disorderly crowd soon began entering the premises by jumping over gates. This resulted in the gate being broken and the coupon counter getting damaged.
The committee received directives from Quepem Dy Collector and Quepem Police Inspector, that the committee would bear responsibility for any untoward incidents that occurred in the melee. Considering the precarious circumstances and the potential risk to life, a decision was taken to halt the distribution of lottery tickets. Instead, the distribution is now scheduled to take place at the Government Auditorium Hall starting at 9 am on Monday.
