The Calcutta High Court in an interim order on Friday directed that the West Bengal government use financial aid given to Durga Puja clubs for improving police and public bonding, and increase the number of women in community policing. The Court further instructed the government that the funds be used for procuring masks, sanitizers and face shields and not for conducting musical soirees, puja activities or entertainment for the organizers.
Justice Sanjib Banerjee ordered that 25 percent of the money should be used for strengthening the police by including more women in community policing, while the remaining 75 percent should be used for procurement of masks, sanitizers and face shields.
“There should be an audit of bills generated after procurement of the said items and these bills should be submitted to SDO in the districts and Kolkata Police in Kolkata for thorough auditing. The audit report must be submitted before the court after the Puja vacation,” the Court observed.
The Court reserved its final verdict — which it said will ensure that such an issue not occur every year — till Puja vacation.
On October 15, 2020, the Calcutta High Court sought an explanation from the West Bengal government to justify Rs 50,000 donations given to the Durga Puja Committees in the state. The division bench comprising justices Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee also enquired whether the state government has given similar financial aid during other festivals like Eid or not.
The High Court, while highlighting that the donations are public money which are being doled out as grant to the Durga Puja Committees, questioned whether any guidelines have been framed for such expenditure and blueprint made for crowd management during Durga Puja.
Responding to the Court, the state government had said that the grant was meant for raising public awareness on Covid-19 control and to buy masks and sanitisers. Replying, to this the Court questioned, “In that case, why is the state government not giving them masks and sanitisers directly instead of giving them the donations.”
The direction came following a public interest litigation filed a few days back by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader Sourav Dutta.
In the PIL, the social activist requested the Court to intervene as ‘public fund’ cannot be distributed to a religious community because their basic function is to carry out religious activities, and such expenditure is beyond the ambit of Indian Constitution.
The PIL was filed after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on September 14 and again on September 24 announced a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 and free housing to nearly 8,000 Sanatan Brahmin priests and Rs 50,000 Puja donation in the state.
The petitioner said that West Bengal government’s decision to dole out monthly allowances and free housing to the priests and the Puja donation is against the concept of secularism.
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