Mamata hikes honorarium for community Durga Pujas to ₹85,000; says it will be raised to ₹1 lakh next year The honorarium, which will be granted to over 40,000 community Durga Pujas, will cost the state exchequer more than ₹340 crore; concessions given to Puja organisers last year will also be given this year West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced a hike in the honorarium for community Durga Pujas, increasing it to ₹85,000 per puja committee from ₹70,000 last year. “Today, the Union Budget was presented and West Bengal got nothing,” the Chief Minister said at a meeting with Puja organisers at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium. In the same vein, she added that “even amidst great adversity, the State government does not ignore festivities”. “I hope this honorarium will be sufficient this year. We are a poor government after all,” she quipped. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced a hike in the honorarium for community Durga Pujas, inc...