Mamata Banerjee hikes Durga Puja grant to Rs 1.10 lakh, waives taxes; oppn sees 'West Bengal poll gift'

Time of India

01-08-2025

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee increased the Durga Puja grant to Rs 1.10 lakh for 40,000 committees, also waiving taxes and offering electricity concessions. This move, praised by organizers, has drawn criticism from the opposition, who view it as a politically motivated tactic ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hiked the Durga Puja grant to Rs 1.10 lakh for 40,000 committees, waived taxes, announced an 80 per cent electricity concession, drawing cheers from organisers and criticism from the opposition ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.Addressing a mega coordination meeting of Puja committees at the Netaji Indoor Stadium here, Banerjee said the enhanced financial assistance, up from Rs 85,000 last year, was a recognition of Durga Puja's cultural significance and its status as a UNESCO-recognised intangible heritage."Durga Puja is not just a religious celebration. It is the lifeline of Bengal's cultural identity, our 'praner utsab' (festival of the heart). We are proud that UNESCO has recognised this. It's our collective responsibility to preserve that glory," Banerjee told a packed audience of organisers and top bureaucrats.Along with the increased grant, Banerjee announced an 80 per cent concession on electricity bills for Puja pandals, a waiver of all state government fees, including fire licence charges, and complete exemption from taxes by civic agencies like the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, panchayats, and municipalities."This year, no fees will be charged by the fire brigade, civic bodies or any other state-run service provider. We are standing by you so that you can organise the Puja without financial stress," Banerjee said.The announcements came amid rising prices of essential materials and services that have burdened Puja committees, especially in semi-urban and rural Bengal. For many organisers, the state grant is now the financial backbone of their celebrations.Tracing the evolution of the grant, Banerjee recalled how the state had begun with Rs 10,000 in 2018 and progressively increased it in response to inflation and rising costs of celebration.The grant went up to Rs 25,000 in 2019, doubled to Rs 50,000 during the pandemic, and further rose to Rs 85,000 in 2024.With Thursday's announcement, it has now jumped by another Rs 25,000.The CM also announced that this year's Durga Puja Carnival will be held on October 5, with immersion scheduled between October 2 and 4.Underscoring the need for a safe and inclusive Puja experience, Banerjee issued a detailed set of guidelines, Puja committees must ensure CCTV surveillance, drone monitoring, watch towers, women-friendly arrangements, and separate entry-exit points at pandals."I urge all organisers to keep ambulances ready, maintain crowd control, ensure proper lighting at immersion ghats, and avoid any mishaps," she said.Banerjee said 300 ambulances, procured from her MPLAD fund, may also be used for the purpose.She also asked Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police to work in perfect coordination, and advised the Metro Railway and transport department to run additional services during the festive days.In a poignant appeal, the CM urged Puja committees to extend a hand to returning migrant workers."Many of them are coming back home after facing torture and hardship. Let's stand by them, show solidarity during this festive time," she said, urging everyone not to harbour any revengeful attitude in retaliation, which is not our culture as different communities live in harmony here for ages..Banerjee and the ruling Trinamool Congress have been alleging that migrant workers of West Bengal are facing torture in BJP-ruled states.Notably, the state had faced criticism from some civil society groups and legal challenges in earlier years over the practice of disbursing public funds for religious festivities."Some even went to court saying Mamata Ji doesn't allow Durga Puja or Saraswati Puja. And yet, when we organise coordination meetings and support these festivals, they object," Banerjee said, taking a veiled swipe at critics.Banerjee said while 45,000 pujas are held across West Bengal, around 3,000 of them are held in the city.Pointing out that lakhs of people, including foreigners, visit the aesthetically designed pandals in the city on Puja days, she said, "We have to ensure those visiting marquees are helped, and shown due respect"..However, the opposition wasted no time in calling the move a "politically motivated handout"."Why stop at Rs 1.10 lakh? Make it Rs 2.10 lakh! It won't change anything. First, clear pending dearness allowance dues to government employees and fill up the six lakh vacant government posts," a state BJP leader remarked sarcastically."Wait and watch, next she will raise the Imam and Muezzin honorarium too," he said.Leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari and others in the BJP alleged that the move was aimed at "buying favour" from thousands of local clubs and community organisers ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls.A similar leap in the grant was announced in 2023 ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections..Rejecting the criticism, TMC leaders asserted that Banerjee's initiatives reflect Bengal's inclusive cultural ethos."The CM believes that the spirit of religion is personal, but festivals are for all. Through this grant, she is empowering the people who keep our cultural fabric alive," said a senior TMC minister.Last year, a few Puja committees had returned the government's grant amid the agitation over the death of an on-duty doctor at RG Kar Hospital.Banerjee had then said the state would divert the funds to new applicants. Whether those committees accept the increased grant this year is not yet known.