Kolkata 1st, September : Durga Puja celebrations began in the early hours in West Bengal this year which is a month earlier than the rest of the Puja schedule.A huge tableau rally in Kolkata and mini rallies in the district headquarters, which were organized by the state government on Thursday to commemorate the UNESCO cultural heritage tag for Durga Puja has begun the preparations for the annual celebration.
Yet, in the midst of these lavish celebrations it is becoming clear that there are concerns about the enormous amount of money thrown into these events, which puts an additional strain on the state’s cash-strapped exchequer.
According to the estimations of the department of finance the cost to the West Bengal government for holding such grand rallies across the state would be in the region of about 10 crore.
This will be in addition to the package of financial aid worth Rs 258 crore to be offered by the state government various community puja committees that are registered which includes cash transfer and a huge subvention in electric bills.
On Thursday, as she participated in the huge rally in Kolkata the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared in the presence of UNESCO representatives that Durga Puja is more than an annual religious celebration.
“The festival is a symbol of massive financial transactions as well as the expansion of business that cannot be overlooked.Religious beliefs are a private thing.The festival, however, is for everyone.My sole faith is in humanity.
Unity is the strength we have,” she said.
However, political leaders as well as economists are asking questions about the rationale for the enormous spending, especially in a time when the state government faces a cash shortage.
CPI(M) politburo member Md Salim has said that the Chief Minister has been trying to destroy the distinctiveness of Durga Puja by turning it into a state-sponsored program.
“Dearness allowance arrears of the state government are in the limbo for an extended period of period of time.
The government of the state has ended permanent employment due a lack of funds.At this moment of time it is resorted to this wasteful spending in the in the name of festival.This is a tactic to distract attention away from the participation of the top Trinamool officials in financial scams such as teachers recruitment irregularities and cattle smuggling, coal smuggling, etc.,” Salim said.
Senior BJP leader and party’s special observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya tweeted “Mamata Banerjee has organized an event to claim credit for the UNESCO label to commemorate Durga Puja.The truth is that she played no part in receiving the award.It was a result of the work of Sangeet Natak Akademi, an institution that was part of the Modi Govt.”
Professor of economics Shantanu Basu said that this extravagant expenditure proves that the government of the state is not turning a eye to the shaky state of the economy of the state, where the debt to gross domestic product (GSDP) has exceeded 30 percent.
“Is driving the state’s economy into total bankruptcy the goal that the state government is aiming at,” he asked.
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