Kolkata, Sept. 7 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Monday announced a Rs one lakh government grant for smaller Durga Puja committees unable to organise the festival without financial assistance, while appealing to big-budget and commercially successful organisers to voluntarily forgo the aid.
Addressing a massive Durga Puja coordination meeting at Milan Mela near Science City here, attended by representatives of 1,355 Puja committees from Kolkata, 78 from Salt Lake, Rajarhat and adjoining areas in the state and 20 from Howrah, Adhikari said the grant would be entirely optional and no committee would be compelled to accept government assistance.
"I appeal to the big-ticket Pujas not to take the government grant. Those who c...