KMC gives Kolkata Shree awards to Puja committees

Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Thursday handed out Kolkata Shree awards to the puja committees in the city that had stood out in this year's Durga Puja. The programme at Mohor Kunja also witnessed handing over of an award to Sahapur Panchabati Puja committee that was selected through online voting on the KMC website.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said: "The Kolkata Shree award is the brainchild of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. A lot of hard work goes into the arrangements during Durga Puja and this needs acknowledgement. So, we have been felicitating the best puja. Our Chief Minister has also given Rs 10,000 to all the puja committees for the first time this year."

The different categories in which the awards were given out include: Serar Sera, Sera Pujo, Sera Pratima, Sera Sailpik Utkorsho, Sera Bishoi, Sera Aloksojja, Sera Paribesh, Sera Parichanno Puja, Sera Sambhabana and Mayor's Choice.

A total of 45 puja committees were awarded in the Mayor's Choice category. The committees that won in the Serar Sera category are- Chetla Agrani, 95 Pally, Suruchi Sangha and Tridhara Akalbodhon.

In the Sera Pujo category, Naktala Udayan Sangha, Rajdanga Udayan, Hindustan Club and Abasar Sarbojanin bagged the award. Bagbazar Sarbojanin, Tala Pratyay, Kashi Bose Lane and Behala Natun Dal won in the Sera Pratima category, while in Sera Sailpik Utkorsho, the prizes went to Shib Mandir, Selimpur Pally, 66 Pally and Bosepukur Sitala Mandir.

Swapna Barman, the first Indian woman to win a gold in

heptathlon at the Asian Games this year, was also felicitated at the programme.