West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee  announced the government holidays for Durga Puja this year. The Durga Puja holidays will be observed from September 30 to October 10. The West Bengal CM also announced financial assistance of Rs 60,000 to be provided to the Durga Puja committees. “Government holidays for Durga Puja will be from 30th Sept to 10th Oct…Last year, the Durga Puja committees received financial assistance of Rs 50,000. This year the committees will get Rs 60,000,” she said.

Notably, Mamata Banerjee was scheduled to host a review meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata to discuss Durga Puja preparations today. Given that the Durga Puja was added to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) “Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity,” the West Bengal Chief Minister has already declared that the festival will be celebrated in a grand manner this year.

Earlier, in a virtual meeting with the District Magistrates, SPs, and CPs of the Commissionerates, ADG (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim and Santanu Basu, secretary of the Information and Cultural Affairs department, asked them to make the necessary arrangements for gathering the Puja committees in each district at a single location and connecting them virtually.