West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has introduced significant changes to the state's approach to the Durga Puja festival. In a recent policy shift, Adhikari announced that the government will no longer provide direct financial grants to puja committees, a departure from the previous administration's practice of awarding Rs 1.10 lakh to each committee. Adhikari stated that as Chief Minister, he believes it is inappropriate for the government to fund religious festivals, signaling a move toward secularizing state expenditure.

In a separate development, the Chief Minister issued a public apology following a controversy regarding a state-sponsored advertisement. The advertisement depicted the goddess Durga with 11 hands instead of the traditional 10. Adhikari acknowledged the error, stating that he has warned the officials responsible for the oversight and promised that the administration will exercise greater caution in future communications. While the policy change regarding grants focuses on fiscal and religious separation, the advertisement incident has drawn attention to the administration's internal oversight processes.