SC notice to WB govt on plea against grant of funds for Durga puja celebrations

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the West Bengal government on a plea challenging its decision to grant Rs 28 crore to 28,000 Durga puja committees.

A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta, however, refused to stay the decision of the government to grant funds to Durga Puja committees.

The top court was hearing a petition filed by advocate Sourav Dutta challenging the Mamata Banerjee government’s decision to dole out Rs 28 crore to 28,000 puja committees in the state for Durga Puja.

On September 10, Mamata Banerjee had declared that Rs 10,000 would be given to each of the 28,000 puja committees across the state –3,000 in the city and 25,000 in the districts, which would cost the government Rs 28 crore.