Rs. 85,000 is meagre, Bengal govt should consider Rs. 10 lakh: Calcutta HC's sarcasm over Durga Puja dole
Kolkata/IBNS: The Calcutta High Court on Monday passed a sarcastic comment on the West Bengal government's annual dolefor the Durga Puja organisers stating the amount of Rs. 85,000 offered is meagre and the state should consider hiking it up to Rs. 10 lakh, media reports said.
The state government, which faces criticism for its freebies, hiked the annual grant from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 85.000 this year.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already announced the grant will be extended to Rs. 1 lakh in 2025.
Hearing a plea seeking the halting of the dole, the High Court directed the government to file an affidavit on disbursal of funds and its utilisation by the clubs and NGOs.
With sarcasm, Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam said he visited the Durga Puja marquees in the previous two years and felt the amount offered to them by the government is nothing as compared to the expenditure.
The bench said the expenditure's nature has to be listed and submitted to the concerned authorities in view of the previous court orders on the same issue.
The High Court has noted that the government pays a bare minimum amount to people suffering from disability caused due to muscular dystrophy.
PWD workers posted to the High Court are also not adequately paid, said the Chief Justice.
IBNS
Senior Staff Reporter at Northeast Herald, covering news from Tripura and Northeast India.
Related Articles
India vs NYC Mayor: MEA hits back after Mamdani backs jailed activist Umar Khalid
New Delhi/IBNS: The Indian government on Friday strongly objected to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s letter expressing solidarity with jailed activist Umar Khalid, urging the US lawmaker to focus on his responsibilities at home.
Madras High Court stays UA certification for Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, no release until Jan 21
The Madras High Court on Friday stayed an earlier single-judge order directing the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to grant a UA certificate to Jana Nayagan, starring actor Vijay, and posted the matter for further hearing on January 21 after the Pongal holidays.
Bengal ED raids row deepens as Mamata Banerjee leads rally, BJP demands action
The confrontation between the Centre and the West Bengal government over the Enforcement Directorate’s raids on political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and its co-founder Pratik Jain intensified on Friday, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee leading a protest rally in Kolkata and the BJP accusing her of deep involvement in corruption.
India rejects US claim on trade deal; says Modi–Trump talks ongoing, negotiations ‘never stalled'
India on Friday strongly rejected remarks by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick that a long-pending India–US trade agreement failed to materialise because Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not make a phone call to President Donald Trump, calling the characterisation of the talks “not accurate”.
Latest News
Why Elon Musk’s X is facing a possible ban in the UK
While Bollywood sweats it out, Akshaye Khanna sleeps 10 hours and skips breakfast
India vs NYC Mayor: MEA hits back after Mamdani backs jailed activist Umar Khalid
Hindu tenant farmer shot dead in Pakistan’s Sindh, sparks massive protests
