KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday refused to attend a meeting of Niti Aayog to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 15, saying it is “fruitless” as the body has no financial powers to support state plans.
Her decision to skip the meeting of the top plan panel comes days after she stayed away from the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 30 citing as “untrue” claims by the BJP that 54 of the party workers were murdered in political violence in Bengal.
She conveyed her decision not to attend the Niti Aayog meeting in a letter written to the prime minister.
“Given the fact that the Niti Aayog has no financial powers and the power to support state plans it is fruitless for me to attend the meeting of a body that is bereft of any financial powers,” the TMC supremo wrote.
She also suggested that focus should be shifted to the Inter-State Council (ISC) to deepen cooperative federalism and strengthen federal polity. (PTI)
