The Mamata Banerjee government is using Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan funds, meant for the upgrade of education infrastructure, for its Teachers' Day function at Netaji Indoor Stadium on Wednesday.

Even as the government desperately seeks a bailout from the Centre and complains about lack of funds stalling development initiatives , education department officials at Bikash Bhavan have released cheques of Rs 4,200 to each of the 115 government-aided schools to bring a total of 6,900 students to the venue in hired buses and provide them snacks.

The budget for the programme , pegged at Rs 45 lakh, is 15 times more than its previous edition, held at Rabindra Sadan in 2010, that was addressed by former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Read