PIL questions grant hike for Durga Puja clubs

Kolkata: Following the state government’s announcement of increasing grant for Durga Puja clubs, this year, to Rs 85,000, a PIL is learnt to have been recently filed at the Calcutta High Court questioning the source of funds that will be given out for this donation purpose.

The PIL was reportedly at the division bench headed by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam.

The petitioner sought that there should be a proper audit by an independent agency on how the donations paid to the clubs during the last few years have been utilised by the club authorities concerned. The petitioner questioned the justification of increasing the donation amount to the clubs year after year when the state government was unable to pay the enhanced dearness allowance (DA) to its employees or other essential expenditures.

Reports claimed that as per initial estimates, the total outflow of the dole package will be to the tune of Rs 500 crore, including Rs 365 crore as donations to 43,000 Puja

committees, of which around 3,000 are in Kolkata while the remaining were spread across the state.