Big-budget clubs not to get Durga Puja dole this year

Kolkata: Chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Friday said clubs that need financial help to organize Durga Puja will receive monetary support while those who do not need it will not be given grants by the state govt.The CM, however, did not specify the criteria for deciding which puja organisers would qualify for the grant. Sources said the govt was working on a formula to determine eligibility for Durga Puja assistance.“I have not started discussions with the I&CA department over Durga Puja. I think those who don’t need that petty amount should not be given the money. The govt will help those who are absolutely dependent on this money to organise Durga Puja.

There will be more pujas this year,” the CM said.Adhikari’s announcement is expected to ease concerns among low-budget puja organisers, especially those with budgets below Rs 10 lakh, who relied on the annual grant to reduce their financial burden.The uncertainty over the grant had emerged after the new govt decided to stop religion-based handouts, including stipends to priests, imams and muezzins.Under the previous administration, financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per organiser was introduced in 2018.

The grant amount was hiked over the years and reached Rs 1.1 lakh in 2025. There were around 44,000 puja organisers who had received the grant with the total payout amounting to over Rs 400 crore. In addition, 80% waiver on electricity charges, fire licence fees and KMC taxes on advertisement hoardings and banners meant some larger pujas effectively received support worth around Rs 2 lakh.Members of the Forum for Durgotsab, which represents more than 500 major Durga Pujas in Kolkata and across the state, welcomed the announcement.

They said extending grants to organisers that genuinely need support to sustain their pujas was a practical approach.“The govt’s approach is extremely pragmatic. We wholeheartedly support the view that assistance should go to small pujas who need it. Big-budget pujas do not require the assistance. What we seek from the govt is support beyond financial assistance. Kolkata’s Durga Puja, at the scale it has reached now, cannot happen without the administration’s support.

We are confident that Durga Puja will flourish,” said Forum for Durgotsab president Sandipan Saha.Earlier this week, Ek Matrik, a forum of Durga Puja theme artists, wrote to the chief minister seeking clear guidelines for pandals set up on roads. Although the Calcutta High Court had issued guidelines on how much space must be left on thoroughfares, some pujas have violated them.Theme artist Gauranga Kuila, vice-president of Ek Matrik, said clear govt guidelines on roadside pandals, along with clarity on the duration of the festival, would help organisers plan and execute pandals better. “We want to show that it is possible to follow the rules without compromising on the grandeur,” said Kuila.