Funds for Durga Puja: SC to hear plea tomorrow

New Delhi, Oct 11: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea challenging the decision by the Mamata Banerjee government's decision to gift Rs 10,000 each for Durga Puja celebrations. The court will hear the matter on Friday.

The Calcutta high court on Wednesday refused to interfere in the West Bengal government's decision to give Rs 10,000 each to 28,000 Durga puja committees in the state, and said the legislature is the appropriate forum to decide on such expenditure.

Advocate P V Dinesh told the SC today that there is no guideline for spending Rs 28 crore earmarked by the TMC for the puja celebrations.

The Calcutta HC and said that the court does not want to interfere in the government's decision to disburse funds to Durga puja committees at this stage.

The legislature is the appropriate forum to decide on expenditure by the state government, it said.

The bench, however, said that the court can interfere in expenditure by the government at a later stage if and when the scope arises.

Advocate general Kishore Dutta had submitted before the division bench that the funds are to be used for assisting police under its traffic safety campaign and not for any religious purpose.

The petitioner had challenged the government's decision to disburse funds to the tune of Rs 28 crore, claiming it was a dole to puja committees and had no public purpose.