West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee raised the donations for clubs organising Durga Puja to Rs 85,000 from Rs 75,000 given to them last year. She said the donation will 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 during an administrative meeting at the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Tuesday (July 23).
Banerjee reviewed preparations for the upcoming festival scheduled from October 8 to 13 and stressed 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 said.
She fixed October 15 for the Durga Puja Carnival, where award-winning idols are showcased saying this will be the last day for idol immersion as the next day is Lakshmi Puja. She also asked the big club committees to take all measures in cooperation with the 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, adding 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.
Experts said Banerjee is raising the money as she wants to keep these club committees appeased, in view of the 2026 assembly elections. A senior TMC leader told News18: “What will the BJP say now? It’s Didi who has taken puja to new heights where we even got UNICEF recognition. She believes religion can be different, but in Bengal everybody celebrates puja together.”
The BJP, on the other hand, alleged that this is nothing but appeasement of Durga Puja club committees.
What instructions did Mamata give for puja organisers?
The chief minister directed the police to hold meetings in the districts keeping a coordination with the forces in Kolkata well before the festival to plan accordingly. She also gave strict instructions to the puja committees to employ additional volunteers, to make separate provisions for entry and exit to pandals as well as appropriate medical arrangements that should be kept.
Referring to the puja organised by fire minister Sujit Bose, she added that traffic congestion will not be tolerated during the puja days. Bose’s puja attracts a large number of people and creates traffic snarls almost every year.
Banerjee said all bus stands, railway stations or ferry ghats must be secured and security forces must ensure smooth coordination. She said there should be no issues when it comes to women’s safety while she also gave specific directions catering to needs of the differently abled persons.
“There should be no issues regarding ensuring the safety of women, elderly and people with disability. We request the puja committees to have a sufficient number of volunteers. Proper electricity and fire safety methods should be followed in the pandals. Safety must not be compromised,” she said.
For the Sreebhumi puja, which attracts huge crowds every year, she said roads to the airport should not be blocked and this should be prioritised. “This state belongs to everyone and so does this puja. All of this is above politics. Everyone should work together during this. In case a mishap occurs, then that committee will be blacklisted for the next year and will not receive any sponsorship,” she added.
The CM directed that there should be proper arrangements and use of the public announcement system outside all pandals with proper space for police personnel. “Arrangements should be made to hang banners and posters that have information regarding public welfare. The state has some organisations that can help out with printing these banners for free. This will be beneficial for all,” she said.
Giving instructions on medical emergencies, she said it needs to be ensured that hospitals have sufficient beds with adequate number of doctors, nurses and ambulances at all times. “Neighbourhood doctors and nurses can help with first aid when required. Non-political medical organisations can also contribute, while helplines should be functional at all times that must be ensured by the IT department and police,” she said.
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