Mamata Banerjee Ups Durga Puja Club Donations to £85k, Promises £100k for Next Year

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced an increase in donations for Durga Puja clubs, raising it from Rs 70,000 last year to Rs 85,000 this year. She made this announcement during an administrative meeting at the Netaji Indoor Stadium to review festival preparations.

Banerjee also declared that the donation would be increased by another Rs 15,000 next year, making it Rs 1 lakh. "Last year, the donation was Rs 70,000, and this year I'm raising it by Rs 15,000 to Rs 85,000. Hopefully, this will suffice for organising the pujas. What more can a poor government like ours do? We started with a donation of Rs 25,000 and gradually increased it," she said.

Tax Exemptions and Discounts

The Chief Minister emphasised that like last year, puja organisers will not be required to pay any taxes, including those for fire safety measures. "Last year, a 66 per cent discount was given on power consumption. This year, I've spoken to CESC and the power minister to increase it to 75 per cent," she added.

This year's Durga Puja is scheduled from October 8 to 13. Banerjee fixed October 15 for the Durga Puja Carnival, where award-winning idols are showcased. She stated that this would be the last day for idol immersion as the next day is Lakshmi Puja.

Coordination and Safety Measures

Banerjee asked big club committees to cooperate with police forces to maintain law and order and avoid any stampede-like situation. "Durga puja has become a festival of people from all religions to congregate. The clubs should share their themes with the police so that they can plan accordingly," she said.

She mentioned that across Bengal there are over 43,000 Durga Pujas organised by club committees while in the Kolkata Police jurisdiction, there are 2,793 pujas. The Bengal CM directed the police to hold meetings in districts keeping coordination with Kolkata forces well before the festival.

Special Attention and Volunteer Deployment

The state control room and district control rooms must keep proper coordination with puja forums and maintain vigilance around the clock. Special attention should be given to women, elderly people, and physically handicapped individuals visiting puja pandals.

The Bengal CM also gave strict instructions to puja committees to employ additional volunteers and make separate provisions for entry and exit to pandals. Appropriate medical arrangements should also be ensured.

Referring to the puja organised by Fire Minister Sujit Bose, Banerjee said traffic congestion would not be tolerated during the puja days. Bose's puja attracts a large number of people and creates traffic snarls almost every year.

Banerjee's announcements aim to ensure smooth celebrations while addressing safety concerns and logistical challenges associated with such large-scale events.