West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a significant increase in the state’s financial assistance for community clubs that organize Durga Puja across Bengal.
The grant has been hiked from ₹70,000 to ₹85,000 per club for the current year, with an assurance of ₹1 lakh for the next year.
CM Mamata Banerjee is also announced 75 percent concession in electricity bills for committees this year in view of “the hike in electricity prices”.
With around 40,000 Durga pujas held by community clubs across the state, including around 3,000 in Kolkata and its surrounding areas, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government will be spending at least ₹340 crore this year for the most anticipated festival of Bengalis.
Banerjee made the announcement during a meeting with puja committee members and government officials at a Kolkata auditorium on Tuesday.
The decision to increase the grant for Durga Puja organisers was taken during the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.
A puja carnival will be held at Indira Gandhi Sarani in Central Kolkata on October 15— the day before Lakshmi Puja
This year Durga Puja will starts on October 9 (Sashthi). and Mahalaya, is on October 2.
In 2021, UNESCO added Durga Puja in Kolkata to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage .
