Chief minister Mamata Banerjee today announced increasing the Durga Puja grant to puja committees and clubs from Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 and raising the concession on electricity charges from 50 to 60 per cent even as she complained that the Centre was denying them funds leaving them in financial stress.

This will benefit a total of 43,000 puja committees and clubs. Addressing a puja preparatory meeting with representatives of puja committees and clubs at Netaji Indoor Stadium Miss Banerjee said, “Our coffers are empty but still we are increasing the Puja grant from Rs 50,000 to 60,000.

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I pray, Maa Durga will fill our coffers. We started with a grant of Rs 25,000. Centre is not giving us our dues for the 100-day job scheme and even slashed funds for many schemes.” “A 50 per cent discount was given on the power bill last year and this time I would request it to be increased to 60 per cent. Along with this, likewise previous years, fire licenses would be issued without any fee,” she added.

Miss Banerjee further announced that government offices will remain closed from 30 September to 10 November. She said that a mega colourful rally would be organised on 1 September to welcome the goddess as well as thank United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) for including Durga Puja in the ‘Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.’ Kolkata’s Durga Puja is the first festival in Asia to have received this recognition from UNESCO. Reiterating that Durga Puja will be observed in a grand manner this year, she said that Durga Puja will begin on 30 September but celebrations will start early.

She urged all puja committees and clubs to join the procession in their unique manner. The mega rally will start at 2 pm on 1 September from Jorasanko Thakurbari (the birthplace of Rabindra Nath Tagore) in north Kolkata and will pass through Rani Rashmoni Avenue and reach Dharmatala in Central Kolkata. The procession will cover roughly five kilometres and representatives from UNESCO will also be present on the occasion.

Miss Banerjee requested students of Classes XI and XII to attend the programme. “We will take out a rally. It will not be a political rally but a rally to welcome the goddess. It will be like a carnival. We will thank UNESCO with the rally on 1 September in the presence of Consul-Generals, prominent industrialists and other distinguished persons,” Ms Banerjee said, adding that foreign delegates will visit the state on 21, 22 and 23 September to see the preparations for the Puja.

Apart from the puja committees in Kolkata, those in Jadavpur, Behala, Salt Lake and Howrah will join in the procession in the city while similar rallies will be held across the districts at the same time and in a similar manner. She requested offices and schools to get over by 1 pm on 1 September. Miss Banerjee said that immersion of idols will be from 5 to 7 November and Carnival will be organised on 8 November. There are 40,092 Pujas and 2,141 women-organised Pujas while 27,000 Pujas are in Kolkata.