The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal on Monday slashed the grant for Durga Puja committees from ₹ 1.10 lakh provided last year by the previous Mamata Banerjee -led government to ₹ 1 lakh this year, chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said, announcing a complete ban on DJs during the festivities and closure of liquor outlets and bars on Maha Ashtami.
Ahead of the next month’s festival, Adhikari also announced that no Durga Puja inauguration will be allowed before Mahalaya, marking the beginning of the Devi Paksha. The government will not organise the Durga Puja carnival this year, he added. Addressing reporters after a meeting with representatives of Durga Puja committees, Adhikari also announced a 100% waiver of electricity charges for puja committees across the state and said they would not have to pay fees for obtaining fire safety clearances.
First Puja season under BJP government
“I do not want to misuse the powers of the chief minister. I would request those who are capable (of organising pujas without government assistance) not to take the financial aid. Those who cannot organise the puja without this money will be given ₹ 1 lakh by the government,” Adhikari said. Adhikari also took a swipe at former chief minister Banerjee, who in 2025 increased the state’s grant for community pujas from ₹ 85,000 each to ₹ 1.10 lakh. In 2018, when the TMC started the scheme, the amount was fixed at ₹ 10,000.
Urging large-budget puja committees to not avail the grant, the CM said the government would provide the assistance to committees that need financial aid. “The manner in which the former chief minister announced grants for puja committees last year was similar to bargaining in a morning fish market,” he said. “This didn’t help (her) in the elections though.”
