A division bench of the Calcutta High Court asked the Bengal government to submit an affidavit on Durga Puja organisers who haven’t submitted expense reports to the state on the grants provided.
“Are the organisers submitting records on how the funds provided by the state government are being utilised? Those (Durga Puja committees) who are not providing the details should be shortlisted and if required the government aid to them should be stopped,” said Justice Sujoy Paul of the Calcutta High Court.
Last month, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had announced a payout of Rs. 1.10lakh for Durga Puja organisers, a state bonanza for the clubs involved in Bengal’s biggest annual religious festival.
Advocate Saurav Dutta had knocked the doors of the high court after Mamata’s announcement at the Netaji Indoor stadium during a meeting with puja organisers, police, CESC, fire department and other officials.
“I know you are all waiting to hear from me. Joy Bangla? Of course Joy Bangla will be there… What do you want?” Mamata had asked the assembled crowd. “80,000? 1lakh? Alright, Rs. 1.10 lakh.”
In 2018, the state government had started providing financial assistance to the organisers starting with Rs. 10,000 for 28,000 clubs, which has over the years been widened across the state.
Last year, the state government gave financial assistance of Rs. 85,000.
When the case came up for hearing on Monday before the division bench of Justice Paul and Justice Smita Das Dey, the bench asked about the clubs which have not provided the details of expenses incurred.
The state advocate-general Kishore Dutta said there was no stay order on giving financial assistance to the Durga Puja committees and appealed for the case to be heard after the festival.
“What will be the relevance of this case after Durga Puja? If any action has to be taken against the truant committees then it has to be taken before the festival,” Justice Paul said.
Saurav Dutta, the petitioner, had earlier moved the division bench of then acting Chief Justice of the high court, Debashish Kar Gupta and Justice Shampa Sarkar.
The division bench had asked whether the government had issued any guidelines since a huge amount of money was involved.
The next hearing of the case is scheduled for Wednesday when the state government will have to submit the affidavit with the list of truant organisers.
