CM Suvendu Adhikari met Kolkata Durga Puja committees at the Milan Mela Prangan on Monday to discuss preparations for the upcoming Durga Puja
Kolkata: Several major Durga Puja committees in the city have decided to forgo the Rs 1 lakh financial assistance announced by CM Suvendu Adhikari, responding to his appeal that large pujas should not seek the grant, even as smaller committees have welcomed the move and said it will help them cope with rising festival expenses. Adhikari on Monday announced the Rs 1 lakh grant for organisers while appealing to large-budget pujas not to apply for the assistance. The administration had provided a grant of Rs 1.1 lakh each to around 45,000 registered clubs and puja committees last year. New Town Sarbojanin Durgotsab Samiti has welcomed the CM’s decision to extend a grant of Rs 1 lakh to puja committees but said it would not seek the assistance.
Among the major pujas that have announced that they will not apply for the grant are Santoshpur Lake Pally, Santoshpur Avenue South, Naktala Udayan Sangha, Singhi Park Sarbojanin Durga Puja Committee, Thakurpukur SB Park Sarbojanin and Rajdanga Naba Udayan Sangha.
Several of the committees said govt’s electricity concessions would provide greater relief to their budgets than the grant, while some also indicated that they could contribute to Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. “We thank the honourable CM, but we have decided not to apply for the grant,” said a member of the committee. “We have decided not to apply for the grant,” said Sanjay Majumdar, secretary of Thakurpukur SB Park Sarbojanin. “We have decided to donate the entire amount to the CM’s Relief Fund,” said Keya Ghosh, chairperson of the Rajdanga Naba Udayan Sangha.
Thakurpukur SB Park Sarbojanin has also decided to honour chief minister’s appeal. Rajdanga Naba Udayan Sangha went a step further, deciding to donate the grant if it were received. On Tuesday, several puja committees posted on their social media accounts that they would not be applying for the financial grant announced by the CM on Monday.