Kolkata, July 31 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a one-time honorarium of Rs 1.1 lakh to each Durga Puja committee this year. This will entail an expenditure of over Rs 450 crore from the state exchequer to the nearly 40,000 puja committees across the state.
Last year, the state government had granted Rs 85,000 to each Durga Puja committee. At the time, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had promised to increase the amount to Rs 1 lakh in 2025. However, in a surprise move, she has gone a step further by announcing Rs 10,000 more than what was initially promised.
Speaking at a meeting with puja organisers at Netaji Indoor Stadium today, Banerjee said, "Last year, I promised that I shall give one lakh this year. I ha...