The West Bengal government, in a first-of-its-kind initiative, has decided to provide financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to every identified Rath Yatra organising committee across the state while also directing district administrations to set up extensive pilgrim facilitation infrastructure for this year’s festival.
A notification to the effect was issued by the information and cultural affairs department on June 27 and district magistrates instructed to hand over the Rs 5 lakh cheques to authorised representatives of the Rath Yatra organising committee on July 13, ahead of the nine-day festival beginning July 16.
The directive describes Rath Yatra as “one of the most significant religious and cultural festivals of the state” that draws devotees “from different parts of West Bengal and beyond”. It asks district administrations to ensure all necessary arrangements for its smooth conduct.
Apart from the grant to organisers, the government has sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for each district to establish ‘sewa shivirs’ (or facilitation camps) along Rath Yatra routes and congregation points. According to the notification, these camps are expected to provide drinking water, ORS packets, first-aid and emergency medical assistance, information desks and assistance to elderly persons, women, children and differently-abled devotees, besides any other pilgrim-friendly services deemed necessary by the district administration.
The notification further states that chief minister Suvendu Adhikari will address representatives of Rath Yatra committees virtually during the cheque distribution programme. District magistrates have also been asked to convene coordination meetings involving police, health, transport, public works, fire services, local bodies and Rath Yatra committees to ensure crowd management, traffic regulation, safety and emergency response.
In a significant provision, the government has empowered district magistrates to recommend additional Rath Yatra committees for financial assistance. The notification says such recommendations may be made if a committee deserves support considering “its historical importance, public participation, scale of celebration or other relevant factors”, subject to detailed justification.
Officials said the move is expected to broaden the list of beneficiaries beyond the committees already identified by the government. Currently, there are around 26 recognised committees.
“This is perhaps the first time the state government has framed such a comprehensive support mechanism around Rath Yatra, covering both financial assistance and administrative arrangements,” said a senior government official. “The intention is to ensure that organisers of major as well as historically important Rath Yatras have the resources to conduct the festival smoothly.”
The state is home to several prominent Rath Yatras, including ISKCON’s Kolkata procession and the Mahesh Rath Yatra in Hooghly, believed to have begun in the 16th century and regarded as one of the oldest Rath festivals outside Puri. The announcement marks a substantial expansion of state involvement in the annual festival, with financial grants, administrative coordination and dedicated pilgrim services being brought under a single government initiative.
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