Court relief for Mamata govt. in Durga puja donation case

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Tuesday said the West Bengal government can go ahead with its decision to donate Rs 60,000 from the state exchequer to each of the around 43,000 clubs/organisations for organising annual Durga Puja festivities across the state, official sources said.

A CHC division bench while hearing a set of PILs opposing Chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s announcement regarding Durga Puja donation for city clubs and rural areas, said the government

can go ahead with its decision provided the clubs comply with six conditions.

The division bench comprised Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj.

The details of the conditions would be available in the court notice, a court source said.

According to the state government, a total grant of Rs 240 crore 16 lakh 80 thousand has been allocated for about 43,000 community Dura puja organising clubs in the city.

Besides the government donation of Rs 60,000 each – an increase of Rs 10,000 over 2021 – the

chief minister also requested the city’s power utility CESC and the state power supply agency

state electricity board to charge 50 percent of electricity bills for the community puja.