Updated: October 16, 2020 11:20:19 am
The court asked the state if guidelines for such spending had been established, as the organizers of the bid were being given public money. [Express photo/Partha Paul]
The Calcutta High Court asked the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government on Thursday why it had decided to award Rs 50,000 to each Durga Puja community committee in the state. On September 24, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the grant and other incentives for the bidding organizers.
Hearing a petition challenging the government’s decision, a court from the Sanjib Banerjee and Arijit Banerjee division of judges asked whether financial aid was also being awarded for festivals such as Eid.
The court asked the state if guidelines for such spending had been established, as the organizers of the bid were being given public money. The judges questioned the government about a plan for crowd control during Durga Puja.
The statement was presented by the leader of the Center for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Sourav Dutta, who claimed that the government’s decision was not in line with India’s secular ideals and harms the fundamental rights established in the Constitution.
Dutta has urged the court not to grant permission for bidding this year to avoid an increase in coronavirus cases after the festival. He noted that doctors had warned that large-scale participation could lead to a tsunami of Covid-19 infection in the state.
The state administration told the judges that the grant was intended to help increase public awareness of Covid-19 protocols and the purchase of disinfectants and masks.
The Court instructed Attorney General Kishore Dutta, who represented the state, and Senior Counsel Bikash Bhattacharya, who appeared before the petitioner, to hold a conference on the matter and inform the court of their outcome on Friday, when the case is heard. again.
Commenting on the matter, TMC Secretary General and Minister of State Partha Chatterjee said: “I do not want to comment on the observations of the High Court. This is not just a Bengali festival, but a complete race. Durga Puja is carried out with all the safety and health protocols that are maintained. The state government and bidding committees are making efforts to ensure that the Covid infection remains under control. They are becoming aware of the issue. The bid is carried out with everything in mind. “
With PTI inputs
📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and keep up to date with the latest headlines
For the latest news from Kolkata, download the Indian Express app.
.
