Chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday announced a grant of ₹1.1 lakh for every Durga Puja organiser in Bengal and reminded her audience of the jobs the festival generates.
The dole was not limited to the cash grant. They included an 80 per cent waiver on power bills — up by 5 per cent from last year — and complete exemption on fees for fire and other licences. Last year, the grant was ₹85,000, and Mamata had promised it would be ₹1 lakh this year.
At a coordination meeting with Puja organisers — attended by senior ministers, officials, and police officers — Mamata teased the audience about the expected amount. She began with ₹90,000, raised it to ₹1 lakh, and after their approval, finally announced ₹1.1 lakh. “Khushi toh? (Are you happy?)” she asked, drawing roaring applause at the Netaji Indoor Stadium.
Job generator
Referring to repeated court challenges to her Puja dole, the chief minister highlighted how the festival supports employment.
“When I hold this meeting, some people move court. Some ask why they (Puja organisers) should be aided,” Mamata said. “Arre bhai, eta ekta utsab (This is a festival). So many people get work because of Puja. Organisers start working on next year’s themes right after the festival ends. For three to four months, they work hard to bring their themes to life. We have 45,000 clubs that organise Durga Puja in Bengal.”
This year, Durga Puja begins on September 28 (Sashthi), with Mahalaya falling on September 21. Immersions will be allowed between October 2 and 4. Mamata announced that the Puja Carnival on Red Road will be held on October 5.
Footfall, security
“People now start visiting pandals from Tritiya. I begin inaugurating Pujas before Mahalaya. The crowd builds up well in advance. There must be coordination between the state police, Kolkata Police, and commissionerates,” Mamata said. “Key locations like bus stands, railway stations, and ferry ghats must be fully covered so visitors don’t face any inconvenience.”
While outlining administrative guidelines, she placed particular emphasis on women’s safety. “Meyeder nirapottar jeno kono ghat-ti na hoy (There should be no slip-ups on women’s security),” Mamata said.
She called for mobile patrol teams, quick response teams, drones, CCTV surveillance, and watch towers. More volunteers must be deployed at pandals, as was done last year.
Separate entry and exit gates, public announcement systems inside and outside pandals, and clearly displayed lists of dos and don’ts were among her directives. “It’s fine to attract crowds, but not at the cost of lives,” she warned. “There should be no competition over who draws the bigger crowd.”
On public transport, she instructed the transport department to increase bus frequency and asked the chief secretary to coordinate with Metro Railway for more frequent trains. “Ambulances must be kept ready, and hospitals should be on alert,” she added.
