Calcutta, Feb. 15: The state government will start weekend folk festivals with the focus on civic poll-bound areas, adding to the already stretched exchequer's burden of utsav expenses.

"Although the festival is likely to be held in urban areas in all districts, there are instructions that focus will have to be given to places where civic elections are scheduled to be held soon," said a senior government official at Nabanna.

Over 90 civic bodies are scheduled for polls in April.

According to sources, local artistes would perform Jhumur, Baul, Kabigaan and Gambhira - all folk music styles - at the festival, to be held from Friday to Sunday.

"More than 50 such programmes would be held in the next couple of months. The first programmes are likely to be held at Egra in East Midnapore and Uluberia in Howrah next week," said a senior official at Nabanna.

"The urban populace is frustrated with the government these days because of the Saradha scam and failure to create jobs. The ruling establishment feels a festival like this one may heal wounds ahead of the polls as soirees are popular in Bengal," said the official.

The chief minister has more than once equated shilpa industry as well as the arts.

According to sources, the information and cultural affairs department wants the expenditure of each event to be within Rs 5 lakh. But an official said that experience had shown that "the bills could be up to Rs 10 lakh and the total expenditure... could go up to Rs 10 crore".

The list of festivals, since the Trinamul came to power is long - the Uttar Banga Utsav, Digha beach festival and Junglemahal Utsav, to name a few. The state government has also tried to add more colour and glamour to the film festival and the Natya Utsav.

According to estimates by officials, the expenditure for festivals crossed Rs 100 crore in 2011-12 and in 2012-13. "This is odd when the state government is curtailing funds under plan heads," said an official.