Rs 60,000 grant to 11 days holiday: Mamata Banerjee’s big announcement for Durga Puja

Kolkata, Aug 22: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her government will increase the grant to Durga Puja organising committees in the state from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000, besides announcing a 60 per cent rebate on electricity bills.

"Last year, the Durga Puja committees received financial assistance of Rs 50,000. This year the committees will get Rs 60,000," said CM Mamata Banerjee. She made the announcement during a meeting with Durga Puja organising committee members at the city's Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday.

She also said that state government employees would be entitled to a 11-day leave on the occasion of Durga puja-the biggest festival in Bengal - from September 30. Banerjee said her government would take out a rally on September 1 to thank UNESCO for according the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) tag to the festival.

"The Centre is not releasing funds for the state. Despite that, we will increase donations for the clubs from last year's Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000. We will also provide them a rebate of 60 per cent on the electricity bill," Banerjee said.

She stressed that the September 1 rally would have no political agenda, and anybody and everybody was free to join it.

"I will invite 10,000 students from senior schools to be part of this rally," she said at an administrative meeting held at Netaji Indoor Stadium here.

The CM also said that the annual Durga Puja carnival at Red Road here would be held on October 8, three days after 'Dashami'. Similar carnivals would also be arranged in the districts, she added.