Calcutta HC asks Bengal govt to stop Durga Puja grants to clubs which failed to submit utilisation certificate

A division bench of Justices Sujoy Pal and Smita Das De ruled that puja committees that have submitted their utilisation certificate for the previous year's grant within the specified time in compliance with the court order will be eligible for the grant in 2025.

The state government in the court said only three have not submitted their utilisation certificate in the entire state.

All three clubs are located in the Siliguri Police Commissionerate's jurisdiction.

The government's counsel informed the court that 2,876 committees have submitted their utilisation certificates on time.

In a massive hike from the last year's amount, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has controversially announced Rs. 1,10,000 for every puja committee spread across the state.

The committees were given Rs. 85,000 last year. Adding to that, the government will give 80 percent rebate on electricity bills that will be received by the clubs.

The grants have raised alarm in the state at a time the government failed to implement the Supreme Court order to release 25 percent of the DA dues to the government staff.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also heads the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), has often complained of the strain in the state exchequer, which, the critics claims, is overburdened by several beneficiary schemes.

The government started the Durga Puja grant in 2018 by giving Rs. 10,000 to each puja committee.

The grant has increased manifold since then to reach Rs. 1,10,000.