Today, On 23rd September, The High Court criticized the West Bengal government’s financial assistance of Rs 85,000 to Durga Puja organizers, calling it meager in light of the Rs 10 lakh being spent on other expenditures. In a sarcastic remark, the court questioned the adequacy of the grant, suggesting that the state’s allocation was insufficient.
Kolkata: In a sarcastic remark, the Calcutta High Court on Monday suggested that the West Bengal government might consider raising the dole to Rs 10 lakh for each Durga Puja committee, noting that the current Rs 85,000 grant appears insufficient.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an increase in the grant for Durga Puja organisers from Rs 75,000 in 2023 to Rs 85,000 this year.
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During a hearing of a petition seeking to halt the distribution of doles to Puja organisers, the court directed the state to submit an affidavit addressing the petitioner’s request for an audited CAG report on the disbursal and utilisation of funds by clubs and NGOs.
Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam remarked to Advocate General Kishore Dutta,
“The state should consider giving Rs 10 lakh to each organiser, as Rs 85,000 is nothing compared to the actual expenditure required to conduct the Durga Puja.”
He further shared,
“After visiting several pandals in previous years, it was clear that Rs 85,000 is far from sufficient to cover the costs involved in organising the festival.”
The court observed that the West Bengal government provides a meager Rs 1,000 to individuals suffering from muscular dystrophy.
Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam highlighted that there are more urgent concerns, such as the conditions faced by contract workers, daily wage laborers, and badli (replacement) workers. He also pointed out that Public Works Department (PWD) workers assigned to the high court were not receiving minimum wages.
The division bench, which included Justice Bivas Pattanayak, declined a request for an order preventing the state from offering electricity rebates to Durga Puja organisers, stating that it could serve a public purpose, as proper lighting and infrastructure are essential for the pandals.
The court further remarked,
“We believe that the disbursement of state funds to Puja organisers may serve a commendable purpose, as it encourages committees to set up pandals, which are a part of the state’s cultural heritage.”
The court noted that, considering the funds allocated for setting up Durga Puja pandals, the Rs 85,000 grant is “hardly sufficient” to cover the expenses of establishing a pandal and managing activities throughout the festival.
Emphasizing that the committees receiving these funds are accountable to the state the court stated,
“What remains to be seen is how the funds are utilised,”.
The bench also directed that the expenditure details be recorded and submitted to the authorities, in accordance with a prior order from September 2022 and other earlier rulings.
Petitioner’s lawyer, Nandini Mitra, argued that it concerning that many Durga Puja committees failed to provide expenditure reports for the grants received from the West Bengal government. Despite this, Mitra pointed out, the state continued to disburse funds to the clubs for organizing Durga Puja year after year.
The state’s lawyer informed the court that a petition concerning the issue had already been resolved by the high court in October 2020, with the government submitting a report in compliance with the court’s directives.
Regarding the plea to overturn the state’s decision to distribute funds to clubs for the festival and to provide an electricity cost rebate, the court acknowledged that the disbursement had already been completed.
The 2020 order also instructed the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to submit a comprehensive report detailing the disbursal and the expenditure accounts of the recipients.