Durga Puja 2025: CM Mamata Raises Grant To Rs 1.10 Lakh For 40,000 Panels Ahead Of Election Year

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee increased Durga Puja grants to ₹1.10 lakh for 40,000 committees, waiving taxes.

File Photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Goddess Durga procession in Birbhum

Source : PTI

In a key pre-festive announcement, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday declared that nearly 40,000 Durga Puja committees across the state would receive a grant of ₹1.10 lakh each from the state government. This marks a significant increase from last year’s grant of ₹85,000 and comes before the election year.

While addressing a gathering of Puja organisers, Banerjee said, “The government stands by the people. Durga Puja is not just a religious celebration; it is a cultural festival that unites everyone. We want to ensure the organisers can manage expenses without stress”, news agency PTI reported.

Along with the enhanced financial support, the Chief Minister stated that no taxes or service charges would be levied on the committees by civic bodies and government departments including the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), panchayats, municipalities, and the Fire Brigade.

Banerjee urged organisers to demonstrate social responsibility during the festivities by extending support to migrant workers returning to Bengal. “I would request Puja committees to help the migrants who are coming back after being tortured. Let’s come together and offer them relief and respect,” she added.

She has consistently accused BJP-ruled states of mistreating migrant workers from West Bengal.

Jhargram to Host Mamata’s Next Protest Rally

According to a report by IANS, after holding a protest rally in Bolpur, Birbhum on July 28, Mamata Banerjee is expected to take her protest to Jhargram district on August 6. The rally will highlight the alleged targeting of Bengali-speaking individuals in BJP-governed regions, an issue Banerjee has described as a renewed ‘Bhasha Andolon’ or ‘Language Movement’.

A senior cabinet minister from West Bengal confirmed the tentative date of the Jhargram rally but declined to be identified, as per the report.

Commentators believe the choice of Jhargram holds historical significance, much like Bolpur. While Bolpur is deeply tied to Rabindranath Tagore and the Visva Bharati University, Jhargram is remembered for the Santhal-led agrarian uprising against British colonial rule in the 1920s.

Tribal Communities to Join Protest March

According to IANS, Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to lead a procession from Rajbari intersection to Circus Maidan in Jhargram. She will be accompanied by members of tribal communities, social groups, and scholars from the Jangalmahal region—comprising the tribal-dominated districts of Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia, and West Midnapore.

On Wednesday, Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister Firhad Hakim convened a preparatory meeting in Kolkata for upcoming programmes related to the Chief Minister’s language movement campaign. These include an event scheduled for August 9 to mark World Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

District Trinamool Congress leaders including Dulal Murmu, Debnath Hansda, and Khagendranath Mahato were among those who attended the planning session. Sources revealed that Hakim would arrive in Jhargram a day early to oversee final arrangements for the rally.

Debnath Hansda confirmed that the Chief Minister’s visit to the region would also involve administrative meetings in addition to the language movement procession.

Renewed Political Attack on BJP Over Migrant Crisis

Over the past few weeks, the Trinamool Congress chief has repeatedly raised concerns about the alleged abuse and intimidation of Bengali migrant labourers in BJP-led states. She has accused the BJP of deliberately instilling fear among Bengalis ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in West Bengal.

During her party’s annual Martyrs’ Day rally on July 21, Banerjee declared her intent to launch a second ‘Bhasha Andolon’ in response to these alleged acts of violence. However, her comments have drawn criticism due to the historical weight of the original Language Movement in then East Pakistan, which led to the birth of Bangladesh in 1971 after its liberation from Pakistan.