Durga Puja organisers will get honorarium of ₹1.10 lakh: Mamata
The announcement made ahead of the West Bengal Assembly polls received criticism from the Opposition parties, who described the honorarium hike as a 'bribe'.
Stating that there are about 45,000 Durga Puja clubs, Ms. Banerjee said that the honorarium is going to cost ₹495 crore to the State exchequer. The CM also urged electricity supply companies to give an 80% rebate to the clubs.
'Last year the sum was ₹85,000, this year how much you want?' asked Ms. Banerjee while addressing a gathering in Kolkata's Netaji Indoor Stadium. 'Let us fix it as ₹1.10 lakh this year,' she added.
Highlighting the significance of the festival to the people of the State, the Chief Minister urged the organisers to focus on crowd management, and she advised the clubs not to compete with each other to draw large crowds. The clubs should engage more volunteers and have separate entry and exits at Durga Puja pandals, Ms. Banerjee said.
The festival will be held in the last week of September, and the Durga Puja Carnival will be held on October 5.
Ms. Banerjee urged the Durga Puja organisers to help the migrant workers who have returned to the State after facing harassment in BJP-ruled states. 'I request the committees to help migrant workers, who are returning to Bengal after facing torture in BJP-ruled states.'
LoP hits out
Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said that the CM can even pay ₹2 lakh to Durga Puja, but before that, she should pay the Dearness Allowance (DA) to employees.
'She should increase the salary of ICDS, Anganwadi workers, civic police volunteers and other contractual staff,' Mr. Adhikari said. The LoP also predicted that before the Assembly polls, Ms. Banerjee would hike the honorarium given to imams and muezzins by ₹500.
The honorarium to Durga Puja clubs has on several occasions been challenged before the Calcutta High Court, and the State government has argued that the funds deemed to be used for increase in awareness on several issues. The Mamata Banerjee government had introduced an honorarium to committees organising Durga Puja in 2018, promising a sum of ₹10,000 to each club. In seven years the grant has increased by 11 times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
29 minutes ago
- News18
'They Tortured Hindus': Sadhvi Pragya Alleges 'Congress Conspiracy' In Malegaon Blast Case
Curated By : Last Updated: August 03, 2025, 11:43 IST Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur (Image: X) Days after a special NIA court of Mumbai acquitted all seven accused in the Malegaon blast case, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur on Sunday said that 'truth has triumphed". The former BJP MP received a warm welcome as she arrived at Raja Bhoj Airport in Madhya Pradesh. 'Dharma and truth were on our side, so we were bound to win. Satyameva Jayate! I had said this earlier, and this has been proven now. Vidharmion ke, deshdrohion ke munh kaale huye hain. They have received a reply. The country has always been with Dharma and truth, and it will always be," she added. Launching a scathing attack at Congress, she alleged that they 'tortured" Hindus and jailed them, slapping false cases, and stressed that the case was a conspiracy by Congress. 'Congresspeople have always adopted appeasement politics for Muslims. They used this in their regime. They tortured Hindus in every manner, jailed them and slapped false cases on them. They called it 'saffron terror' and 'Hindutva terror'. Congress harbours such a petty mindset. This was a conspiracy by Congress, and this qualifies as treason," she said. #WATCH | 2008 Malegaon blast case all accused acquitted | Bhopal, MP: BJP leader Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur says, 'I have said this again and again that Parambir Singh is a terrible man. He crossed all limits and broke all laws. He tortured me outside the framework of law. I was… ANI (@ANI) August 3, 2025 She further alleged that when Congress was in power in Maharashtra and Centre, they 'misused all government agencies and turned them corrupt. This was done by the UPA Govt". 'Officers of ATS had created this atmosphere of fear in the country, so nobody was able to express themselves… It was an attempt to scare people because there was a Congress government in Maharashtra and the Center," she said. Swipe Left For Next Video View all 'This was done by the UPA government… Several people, who were tortured by ATS, lost their life. But their family doesn't know where their body is…Several were killed, but their record was scrubbed," she added. On September 29, 2008, a bomb attached to a motorcycle exploded in Malegaon — a town with a significant Muslim population—killing six people and injuring around 100 others. view comments News india 'They Tortured Hindus': Sadhvi Pragya Alleges 'Congress Conspiracy' In Malegaon Blast Case Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Read More
Hindustan Times
29 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘We already know': What Shashi Tharoor said on Vice President race, and what he hopes for NDA to do
As the race to elect the next Vice President of India intensifies following Jagdeep Dhankhar's sudden resignation, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Sunday that the result is all but decided, and it evidently favours the ruling BJP-led NDA. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the outcome of the Vice Presidential election is already decided.(PTI) 'All we know is that it will be somebody whom the ruling party nominates, as we already know the composition of the electorate,' Tharoor said, speaking to reporters. He added, "We hope they consult the Opposition, too, but who knows?" The Kerala MP has been making headlines for reported friction with his party Congress, particularly after he was chosen by the Modi government for the multi-party delegations to take India's anti-terror message to foreign countries after the Pahalgam terror attack and India's strikes against Pakistan under Operation Sindoor. The Congress took exception to the way he was chosen without asking the party; and then to his praise for Modi on that trip to the US and other countries. Despite his being a former global diplomat and a minister in the Congress-led UPA government before Narendra Modi came to power, his party did not list him as a speaker when Parliament debated on Operation Sindoor over the past week. Tharoor had simply said 'maunvrat' (vow of silence) when asked about not being among the speakers. Jagdeep Dhankhar suddenly resigned amid the debate — reasons are still a subject of speculation — necessitating the election. Explaining the mechanics of the Vice Presidential election, Tharoor noted that, unlike the Presidential vote, which includes state assemblies, the Vice President is elected solely by members of Parliament. Despite the NDA's evident numerical edge, he said he hoped that the Opposition would also be consulted in the process. Vice Presidential election The election for the post of Vice President will be held on September 9 and is set to be a keen contest with the Congress-led Opposition likely to field a common candidate to take on the BJP-led NDA which has the numbers on its side. If necessary, the polling will take place in room number F-101, Vasudha, on the first floor of the Parliament building on September 9 between 10 am and 5 pm. The results will be announced on the same day. Jagdeep Dhankhar's surprise resignation on July 21 marked the first time an incumbent had stepped down mid-term and did not seek a higher office. At the time of his resignation, Dhankhar had over two years of tenure left. Electoral college for the VP election The Electoral College for the election comprises members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. The nominated members of the Rajya Sabha are also eligible to vote. This means 233 elected and 12 nominated members of the Rajya Sabha, and 543 members of the Lok Sabha. There are currently five vacancies in Rajya Sabha and one in Lok Sabha, pegging the effective strength of the electoral college at 782.
The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
He has his reasons: Shashi Tharoor on Rahul Gandhi's 'dead economy' remark
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday (August 2, 2025) refused to comment on party leader Rahul Gandhi's endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump's 'dead economy' remark about India and said the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha may have had his 'own reasons' for saying so. The remarks came after Congress MP Mr. Gandhi on Thursday (July 31, 2025) agreed with US President Donald Trump's statement that the Indian economy is 'dead' and said he is 'glad' that the U.S. President has stated a fact. Speaking to the mediapersons, Mr. Tharoor said, 'I don't want to comment on what my party leader has said. He has his reasons for saying so. My concern is that our relationship with the U.S., as a strategic and economic partnership, is important for us. We are exporting around 90 billion worth of goods to America. We can't be in a position to lose that or have it diminish significantly.' 'We must wish our negotiators strength to get a fair deal for India. We should also be talking to other regions for exporting our goods. Then we could make up for some of what we might lose in the U.S. We have to support our negotiators,' he added. Speaking to reporters, Mr. Gandhi said that the whole world knows the Indian economy is 'dead' except for the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. 'Yes, he is right. Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact. The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. BJP has finished the economy to help Adani,' said. On Wednesday (July 30, 2025), U.S. President Donald Trump made a shocking statement on his social media platform Truth Social after the announcement of 25% tariffs against India and threatened an additional 'penalty' for importing Russian oil.
