Mamata to attend Niti meet despite boycott by INDIA bloc

Animesh Singh

New Delhi, July 26

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee will be the exception among INDIA block CMs, who will boycott the Niti Aayog meeting slated to be held on Saturday.

While states ruled by the INDIA bloc would be boycotting the council, Banerjee on Friday said that she would attend the meet, but only to register her protest against the think tank and seek its scrapping.

The West Bengal CM, who arrived in the national capital on Friday, told mediapersons that she would seek the think tank’s replacement with its predecessor Planning Commission. Sources aware of the development indicated that she would leave the meeting after lodging her protest.

“I will raise the voice to stop Niti Aayog because they don’t have any financial implication and they can’t do anything. They can only do a convenient meeting in a year to just show their face. Please bring back Planning Commission,” she said.

Earlier this week, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had said that he would be boycotting the Niti Aayog meeting since his state had been “boycotted” in the Union Budget. Showing solidarity with him, the CMs of all INDIA bloc ruled states had decided to skip the meet.

Chief ministers of all states and lieutenant-governors of UTs will attend the meeting, which will be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They will brainstorm on key parameters for ensuring ‘ease of living’ — facilities like education, drinking water, power and health.