"No accounts, no Puja grant": High Court tells Puja committees

The Calcutta High Court has mandated that Durga Puja committees will only receive government grants if they provide a utilization certificate or a detailed account of their expenses from previous years. The order, delivered on Wednesday, aims to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the use of public funds allocated for the popular festival. This decision comes as a crucial step towards regulating the distribution of grants and ensuring that they are used for their intended purpose.

The bench, comprising Justice Sujay Pal and Justice Smita Das, was clear in its directive. The judges stated that only those puja committees that have previously submitted their expense reports will be eligible to receive the grants for the upcoming festive season. While the court did not halt the grants, it attached a strict condition, submitting accounts a prerequisite for eligibility. This move shifts the responsibility to the committees to prove their financial diligence.

During the proceedings, the state government submitted an affidavit to the court, providing details on the grant distribution from the previous year. The affidavit revealed that 2,876 puja committees within the Kolkata Police jurisdiction and 41,795 committees under the District Police had received grants. This data underscored the massive scale of the government's financial support for the festival across the state.

A key point from the affidavit was that a vast majority of the committees—41,792 to be precise—had already submitted their expense accounts. However, it was also noted that three committees from Siliguri had failed to do so. This finding reinforces the court's concern regarding accountability and highlights a small but significant gap in the system that needs to be addressed.

The court's ruling sets a new precedent for the handling of government funds for cultural and religious events. It emphasizes the judiciary's role in ensuring that public money is managed with due diligence and integrity. This decision is expected to be welcomed by citizens who have long demanded more transparency in the allocation of such grants. It will also serve as a wake-up call for puja committees to maintain proper financial records.