Bengal Government’s Durga Puja Gift: Small Puja Committees to Get ₹1 Lakh Aid, Free Electricity Announced
The West Bengal government has announced a major relief package for Durga Puja 2026, with smaller and financially weaker Puja committees set to receive government assistance of up to ₹1 lakh. The government has also announced free electricity for Durga Puja pandals across the state.
The announcements were made by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari at a large Durga Puja coordination meeting in Kolkata on September 7. The move is aimed particularly at committees that may struggle to organise the festival without financial support.
Small-Budget Puja Committees to Get ₹1 Lakh
The government has decided to provide a ₹1 lakh grant to smaller Durga Puja committees that genuinely need financial assistance.
At the meeting, the Chief Minister appealed to large-budget and financially strong Puja organisers to voluntarily opt out of the government grant.
The assistance will not be compulsory. Committees that do not require government support can simply choose not to apply.
The government will scrutinise applications before releasing the funds, with the aim of ensuring that the benefit reaches committees that actually need it.
Free Electricity for Durga Puja Pandals
One of the biggest announcements is free electricity during the Durga Puja festival.
According to the government, both the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) and CESC have agreed to provide electricity without charge to Puja committees during the festival.
This could provide significant relief to organisers, as electricity is one of the major expenses involved in running large pandals, lighting installations and other festival arrangements.
New Single-Window Portal for Puja Permissions
The government has also introduced the Sahaj portal, designed as a single-window system for Puja committees.
Organisers will be able to use the digital platform to apply for the various permissions and clearances required for their celebrations, potentially reducing the need to approach multiple government departments separately.
Big-Budget Pujas Asked to Give Up Government Aid
The new policy marks a shift from providing grants broadly across Puja committees.
The government has specifically asked financially capable committees and large-budget Pujas to forgo the grant voluntarily so that public assistance can be directed towards smaller organisers.
The Chief Minister said the government wants to support committees for which arranging Durga Puja without assistance would be difficult.
Several Other Changes Announced
Along with financial support and free electricity, the West Bengal government announced several new rules for this year’s celebrations.
These include restrictions on DJ use, liquor sales on Maha Ashtami and road closures for Puja arrangements. The government has also said that pandal inaugurations should not take place before the beginning of the appropriate festive period, while immersion schedules will have to be followed.
The government has also decided not to hold the traditional Red Road Durga Puja Carnival this year, a programme introduced under the previous administration.
A Major Relief Before Durga Puja
With Durga Puja approaching, the combination of ₹1 lakh assistance for eligible small committees and free electricity for pandals could significantly reduce the financial burden on local organisers.
For smaller Puja committees, particularly those operating with limited budgets, the support could make it easier to arrange the festival while maintaining essential lighting, safety and crowd-management facilities.