Maharashtra, May 22: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar announced that the decision to ban the use of plaster of Paris (POP) to make Ganesh idols has been delayed for┬аa year.┬аTalking to Twitter he said, this decision has been taken keeping in mind all those artisans who have already made their idols and they won't suffer any financial loss.

Earlier this month,┬аBJP MLA Ashish Shelar wrote a letter to Javadekar┬аregarding the ban on the use of PoP for idol making. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had banned the use of plastic, thermocol and plaster of Paris in making idols of gods and goddesses. Ganesh, Durga Idol Immersion Guidelines Revised; CPCB Bans Use of PoP, Plastic and Thermocol for Making Idols.

Here's what Prakash Javadekar tweeted:

This decision will surely come as a huge relief to artisans whose livelihoods have been severely impacted due to the coronavirus infections and the lockdown extensions. Shelar in his letter had mentioned that the artisans have already┬аinvested crores of rupees in purchasing material┬аand are busy preparing for the upcoming Ganpati and the Durga puja festivals. So the ban to use PoP would negatively impact the lakhs of rural artisans.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 22, 2020 12:31 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).