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**Banerjee Government Boosts Durga Puja Grants, Sparks Opposition Outcry**

**Kolkata, August 1, 2025:** West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a significant increase in the honorarium provided to community Durga Puja organizers across the state, raising the grant from ₹85,000 to ₹1.10 lakhs. The announcement, made at a coordination meeting with Durga Puja organizers in Kolkata, is expected to cost the state exchequer ₹495 crore. The Chief Minister also requested electricity supply companies to provide an 80% rebate to the puja committees.

Ms. Banerjee framed the decision as a celebration of the festival’s central role in West Bengal’s cultural life, urging organizers to prioritize crowd management and focus on cooperation rather than competition. She also appealed to Puja committees to assist migrant workers returning to the state, who she said, had faced persecution in BJP-ruled states.

The move has been met with strong criticism from opposition parties, who accuse the ruling Trinamool Congress of using public funds as a political “bribe” ahead of upcoming Assembly elections. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari argued that the Chief Minister should prioritize increasing Dearness Allowance for state employees and improving the salaries of Anganwadi workers before increasing festival grants. Adhikari further predicted the Chief Minister will increase honorarium given to imams and muezzins by ₹500.

The honorarium scheme, which began in 2018 with grants of ₹10,000, has been challenged in the Calcutta High Court in the past. The state government has defended the scheme as a means to promote social awareness. Last year, the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court suggested to give ₹10 lakhs to each organiser.

The Durga Puja festival is scheduled for the last week of September, followed by the Durga Puja Carnival on October 5.

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