Kolkata, Sep 5 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court has directed a petitioner who had filed a PIL against the increase in the amount of donations on the occasion of Durga Puja, the state’s biggest festival, to submit a representation to the Bengal government seeking a proper audit of the utilisation of the annual donations given to various community puja committees.
Hearing the PIL, a division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya said that the hearing on the case can begin as early as possible after the memorandum is submitted to the state government.
The Chief Justice also said that he had heard that this year many committees had refused to accept donations from the state government.
This practice of state government donations to community puja committees started in 2011 when Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress came to power in the state, ending the 34-year-long Left Front rule.
Initially, the state government gave only Rs 25,000 to each committee. This amount was gradually increased to Rs 85,000. The Chief Minister has already announced that the amount will be increased to Rs 1 lakh next year.
However, this year several puja committees have refused to accept donations from the state government in protest against the rape and murder of a junior doctor at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata.
Committee officials say that due to this decision they may have to cut down on some festival-related expenses, but they will do so.
A theatre group in Malda district rejected the state government’s donation to hold a theatre fair. Individually, some playwrights and actors have announced to return awards and cash prizes given by the state government to protest the event.
In his PIL, Sourav Dutta has questioned the source of the funds meant for this charity purpose and has sought a proper audit by an independent agency as to how the donations given to the clubs during the last few years have been utilised by the respective club officials.
The petitioner also questioned the justification of increasing the donation amount to the clubs year after year when the state government was unable to pay the increased dearness allowance to its employees or other necessary expenditure.
–IANS
PSK/GKT
