The Mamata Banerjee government’s much-publicised Durga Angan project projected as a civilisational homage to Maa Durga has degenerated into one of the most damning symbols of governance collapse, political appeasement, and alleged misuse of public money in recent Bengal history. What the Trinamool Congress (TMC) celebrates as a moment of divine pride is, on closer scrutiny, a saga of panic-driven decision-making, procedural violations, and faith reduced to a mere electoral instrument.
At the heart of the controversy lies a simple but explosive question, How did a state government spend nearly Rs 10 crore of taxpayer money on a religious project, scrap the site overnight under political pressure, and then shift the foundation stone without any accountability?
The Durga Angan was officially announced to be built on a Health Department owned plot along Biswa Bangla Sarani in New Town prime government land opposite the Westin Hotel and near Eco Park. The location was not incidental; it was meant to send a powerful visual and political message.
After making a spectacle of the Messi event, Mamata Banerjee has now turned her gaze to defiling the sanctity of Maa Durga.
Her so-called Durga Angan project is steeped in appeasement and fakery, the very hallmarks of her politics. It mocks the faith and beliefs of Bengali… https://t.co/LN8nRes4Vo
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) December 29, 2025
For over two months, preparations moved at breakneck speed. Tenders were floated, contracts were awarded, and earth-filling work commenced. HIDCO work orders dated October 17, 2025 show contracts granted to Muskan Enterprise and MM Enterprise firms alleged to be close to the ruling party for raising ground levels in Zone-4 and Zone-5 near Bander Mor.
Official documents indicate that earth-filling work worth approximately Rs 4 crore was already executed. When ancillary costs, logistical arrangements, and preparatory expenses are added, the total expenditure reportedly touches Rs 10 crore all before a single foundation stone was laid.
Parallelly, arrangements were underway to erect a massive stage for the foundation-laying ceremony, which the TMC planned to project as a grand cultural moment under Mamata Banerjee’s leadership.
Members of the local minority community objected to the project, claiming that the land was “Muslim-origin land” acquired from Muslim owners. They questioned why public funds were being used to construct a Hindu religious structure on land they occupy or associate with their community.
Instead of standing by its own planning process or offering legal clarity, the state government panicked.
Work was abruptly halted. The site despite being officially declared, tendered, and partially developed was suddenly scrapped. Contracts already awarded were rendered meaningless. Crores of rupees vanished into bureaucratic silence, with no public explanation of responsibility, recovery, or accountability.
BJP leader Amit Malviya summed it up sharply, “This is governance driven by panic appeasement overriding planning, with public money wasted to protect a vote bank.”
In an extraordinary last-minute move, the Mamata Banerjee government shifted the foundation stone to a new location land originally earmarked for industrial use. No industry ever came up, and now the land has been conveniently repurposed for a religious complex.
