On Monday, the Calcutta High Court instructed the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) to submit a report regarding the West Bengal government's allocation of Rs 85,000 to local clubs for Durga Puja celebrations.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Bivas Pattanayak denied any interim relief to the petitioner, stating that the merits of the grant had already been determined. At this stage, the court emphasized that only a report from the CAG regarding the utilization of the funds can be requested.

"Going by the amount of funds needed [to organise puja], Rs 85,000 will hardly be sufficient. What needs to be seen is how these funds are utilised. The committees are accountable and the nature of expenditure must be made clear. Therefore the State should respond with a report from the CAG. It was submitted that none of the committees have accounted for the expenditure. Let the appropriate authority file an affidavit."

The Court noted that although the grant was intended to support the commendable cause of promoting Durga Puja, a UNESCO-recognized cultural event, there were several other priorities that the State government had been neglecting.

It was highlighted that individuals with disabilities, such as muscular dystrophy, were receiving only Rs 1,000 per month in assistance, while local clubs were being allocated Rs 85,000.

The court further noted that Public Works Department (PWD) workers stationed at the High Court were not receiving minimum wages and had submitted a complaint to the Chief Justice regarding this issue.

In making these observations, the Court noted that while the question on whether or not the grant could be given was settled, the only avenue left was to ensure that the fund was being utilised for the purpose it was being given.