Overview
- West Bengal’s chief minister laid the foundation stone on December 29 for Durga Angan near Eco Park in New Town on a 17.28-acre site spanning roughly two lakh square feet.
- The complex is planned with a 54-metre sanctum, 1,008 pillars, 108 deity idols, 64 lion statues, a 20-foot circumambulatory path, and daily access year-round for up to one lakh visitors.
- The project cost is estimated at ₹261.99–₹262 crore, with implementation by HIDCO and oversight by a trust headed by Chief Secretary Manoj Pant; donations to the Durga Temple Trust will fund the idol, with infrastructure costs met by the state.
- Mamata Banerjee framed the initiative as cultural preservation linked to UNESCO’s 2021 recognition of Durga Puja and as a driver of artisan jobs and tourism, asserting she is secular and rejects accusations of appeasement.
- The BJP labeled the move appeasement politics and alleged land-use changes and opaque contracting, including claims of prior spending near ₹10 crore, which remain opposition allegations; Banerjee also announced a Mahakal temple foundation in Siliguri in the second week of January.