Kolkata, Sep 8 (IANS): A number of mega-budget community Durga Puja committees in Kolkata have responded positively to an appeal from the Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari for voluntarily declining the state government-provided grant to such committees in the state.
On Monday, while announcing a state government grant of Rs 1,00,000 for each of the community Durga Puja Committees for this year, the Chief Minister also issued an appeal requesting the big-budget puja committees, who are capable of running their shows successfully without the state government aid, to voluntarily decline accepting the state government grant.
A number of mega-budget Puja Committees have reacted positively to that plea from the Chief Minister.
The first Puja Committee to react positively in the matter is that of Santosh Mitra Square Committee in Central Kolkata, whose principal patron is the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-legislator, Sajal Ghosh.
“We have consistently refused government dole and have opposed such measures on principle. But this time, if the benefit is genuinely reaching the people who are truly needy and deserving, it is certainly a welcome step. Most importantly, it feels good that we don’t have to oppose a genuinely helpful initiative simply because of ideological differences. When the right people benefit, we should appreciate the good work—irrespective of politics
BJP’s state spokesperson in West Bengal, Keya Ghosh, who is associated with Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha Puja at Kasba in South Kolkata as the committee’s chairpersons, said that the Chief Minister’s argument is absolutely genuine that the state government’s Puja grant should be for small-budget Pujas, for whom the donation means a lot.
“I sincerely thank the Chief Minister for standing by the small and big pujas. A 100 per cent discount on the electricity bill of Puja Committees is undoubtedly a welcome move. We at Rajdanga Naba Uday Sangha have thought differently this time. We will donate the money to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” said Ghosh, a journalist-turned-politician.
Some other mega-budget Puja committees who have voluntarily declined the state government grant replying to the Chief Minister’s plea included Tala Pratyay Club and Phulbagan Sarbojanin in North Kolkata and Santoshpur Lake Pally Club in South Kolkata.
IANS
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