Mamata Banerjee.
Credit: PTI Photo
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Tuesday, increased the financial assistance for puja committees to Rs 70,000, which is a jump of Rs 10,000 from last year.
Addressing an administrative meeting ahead of Durga Puja, in Kolkata, Banerjee said that earlier there was no financial support to clubs (the puja committees). While explaining the reason for the government’s support, Banerjee said the same extended to imams and purohits is also questioned. The imams engage in community development work, she said. All purohits, she added, are not financially well-off either.
The committees, the West Bengal CM said, get financial support as this money is used for generating awareness among the masses about the state government’s welfare schemes. The financial assistance had started with an amount of Rs 25,000. It got revised to Rs 50,000, and then to Rs 60,000, and this year to Rs 70,000.
The puja committees will pay the electricity bill incurred with a rebate, while there’s no tax on advertisements procured by them, nor is there any charge for fire brigade services and permissions.
Durga Puja will be celebrated in the state during October 21-24. The immersion of idols will take place between October 24-26. Puja committees that get selected for participation in the grand Durga Puja Carnival, scheduled on October 27, will go for immersion after the event. The Laxmi Puja will be held on October 28.