Calcutta High Court refuses to interfere into Bengal government decision to offer funds to Durga Puja committees

Calcutta High Court on Wednesday refused to interfere into the state government’s decision to offer grants to the Durga Puja organisers all over West Bengal.

The court refused to accept the petition and said the issue can be taken up after the next budget. On September 10, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that Rs 10,000 would be given to each of the 28,000 puja committees – 3,000 in Kolkata and 25,000 in the districts, on the occasion of Durga Puja. The total cost for the government would be Rs 28 crore.

Appearing for the state, the Advocate General had earlier submitted that the funds were to be used by puja committees to promote “Safe Drive, Safe Life” campaign and issues of public safety and sanitation. The state had further argued that it was an executive order.

On the other hand, appearing for the petitioner advocate Sourabh Dutta, senior counsel Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya had earlier asked whether the state government had the authority to spend for the purpose of “destroying the secular structure of the Constitution.”

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