Calcutta HC questions Bengal govt's Durga Puja permission, grants amid Covid-19

While hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by CITU leader from Durgapur, Saurav Dutta, challenging the West Bengal government's decision of permitting Durga Puja and granting Rs. 50,000 to each puja committee, a division bench of Calcutta HC's Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Arijit Banerjee asked state's advocate general, Kishore Dutta, how would the government allow the festival amid pandemic when all educational institutions in the state were closed to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Questioning the intent behind the state's grant of Rs. 50,000 each to the puja committees, the division bench asked the advocate general whether the government grants such doles in other festivals of all communities or only in Durga Puja as there should be no discrimination in a democratic structure.

After the state had informed the court that the grants were being given as a fund for buying masks and sanitisers, the court observed that the state should have bought and distributed masks as well as sanitisers through a centralized process which would save the expenditure.

The division bench also asked the state to provide detailed precautionary guidelines and the blueprint of the crowd management during puja days.

"If police and administration will perform all duties, including crowd management and ensuring the compliance of precautionary guidelines at the puja premises, then what is the need of granting Rs. 50,000 to the clubs," the court questioned the government.

The matter will be heard again in the division bench on Friday.