Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced a series of major changes for this year’s Durga Puja celebrations, introducing new arrangements related to Puja inaugurations, electricity supply, liquor sales, immersion and public events.
The announcements were made on Monday during a coordination meeting at the Milan Mela compound, attended by Durga Puja organisers and representatives of various government departments and agencies.
One of the biggest changes concerns the traditional Durga Puja immersion carnival on Red Road. Instead of the carnival, the state government will organise a large-scale Mahalaya programme at Eden Gardens.
According to Chief Minister Adhikari, the four-hour event will be jointly organised by the tourism and information and cultural affairs departments. The programme is expected to feature drone displays and fireworks and will formally mark the beginning of the Durga Puja celebrations.
The Chief Minister also announced that Mahashtami will be observed as a dry day across the state. Liquor shops will remain closed and bars will not be permitted to serve alcohol on the day.
Another significant announcement relates to electricity charges for Puja committees. Adhikari said Puja organisers would receive 100 per cent waiver on electricity charges this year. He said discussions had been held with WBSEDCL and CESC regarding the arrangement.
CESC managing director (distribution) Vineet Sikka, who was present at the meeting, said the company would follow the Chief Minister’s directive.
Adhikari also asked Puja organisers to avoid inaugurations before Mahalaya. He said Puja inaugurations should be scheduled only after Mahalaya, when Matri Paksha begins.
On immersion, the Chief Minister requested organisers to complete all Durga Puja immersions by October 24, ahead of Kojagari Lakshmi Puja on October 25. He said the government would maintain a definite deadline for completing the immersion process.
The state government has also identified 13 roads that cannot be blocked for Puja-related activities. These include Red Road, JL Nehru Road, Strand Road, Kidderpore Road, Burdwan Road, DL Khan Road, Hospital Road, Cathedral Road, Nirmal Chandra Street, Lenin Sarani, BB Ganguly Street, Park Circus Connector and Prince Anwar Shah Road.
Another major restriction announced at the meeting is a ban on DJ music during both Durga Puja celebrations and immersion processions.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the financial assistance provided to Puja committees by the previous government. He announced a ₹1 lakh grant for Puja committees that require financial support, while appealing to large and financially independent organisers to voluntarily opt out of the assistance.
According to Adhikari, committees seeking the grant will have to apply through their local police station. The applications will then go through the relevant police and administrative authorities before being processed by the finance department. The government aims to ensure that eligible committees receive the assistance before Sashthi.
Adhikari also said that accepting the grant would remain optional and that Puja committees declining the assistance would not be treated as being aligned with the Opposition.
With these announcements, the BJP-led West Bengal government has outlined a new framework for the 2026 Durga Puja celebrations, combining restrictions on public movement and sound with financial and electricity support for eligible Puja organisers.
