Quint Debate: Should Bengal Govt Give Rs 28 Cr to Puja Committees?

Both Calcutta High Court and the SC have refused to stay the Bengal government’s decision to give out the grants.

The Mamata Banerjee government had announced that it will give out Rs 28 crores, in total, to 28,000-odd Durga Puja committees in Bengal.

(Photo: The Quint) 

Durga Puja is here, but there’s a HUGE debate that Bengalis are now embroiled in. Should the Mamata Banerjee government be giving out sops for Durga Puja?

For the uninitiated, the West Bengal government, under CM Mamata Banerjee, had announced that it will give out Rs 28 crores, in total, to 28,000-odd Durga Puja committees in West Bengal. Essentially, that means each puja committee will get around Rs 10,000. Is that too much?

Well, some citizens seems to think so. A petition was filed by advocate Sourav Datta at Calcutta High Court, challenging this decision on the grounds that there is “no public purpose” in organising a Durga Puja.

On 10 October, Calcutta High Court rejected Datta’s PIL saying courts cannot interfere in an executive order.

Datta, then, took his appeal to Supreme Court, which heard the matter on 12 October and refused to stay the Bengal goverment’s decision to dole out the money. The top court, however, did say it is willing to examine whether a state, by exercising its discretionary powers, can grant money to puja committees or clubs for religious activities. It also issued a notice to the Mamta Banerjee government and sought its reply within six weeks.

Now, Durga Puja has never been exclusive of politics in West Bengal. It is the biggest festival in the state, and a lot of politicians hold stake in it, either by organising their own pujas or by some other means. It is the easiest and surest way to get into the hearts and minds of the Bengali voter.

While it seems like the Bengal government has successfully crossed all hurdles when it comes to this move, we at The Quint debate on whether it is fair for a “secular state” - ANY state - to be giving out money for religious festivals.