Kolkata, March 12: The Union government has given permission to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to visit the United Kingdom (UK) later this month to deliver an address at the Oxford University.
An email communique on this count has reached the Chief Minister’s Office at the State Secretariat Nabanna on Wednesday noon, confirmed a state government official. “As a matter of protocol, such official tours in foreign countries by any Chief Minister require the final clearance from the Union government. Today the clearance related to the Chief Minister’s scheduled tour to London has come,” confirmed a state government official on Wednesday.
As per the schedule of the Chief Minister fixed so far, she will be leaving Kolkata on March 22. First, she will fly to Dubai from Kolkata, and from Dubai, she will be flying to London. It is learned that in her speech at the Oxford University, the Chief Minister will be highlighting the role of different social welfare schemes introduced by her government, especially those related to women empowerment, in positively impacting the livelihood of the people of West Bengal.
Insiders from the State Secretariat said that besides delivering the lecture at Jadavpur University, the Chief Minister is also scheduled to participate in an industry meet at London, where she will be highlighting the factors related to ease of doing business in West Bengal.
She will be returning to Kolkata on March 29. Mamata Banerjee was also invited in 2021 to deliver a lecture at the Oxford University. However, the programme was cancelled at a later state. The Trinamool Congress then alleged that the programme was cancelled due to the clandestine initiative by the Union government.
Earlier in 2015, Chief Minister Banerjee visited the UK. There she was accompanied by several members of her Cabinet, including the then state Finance Minister Amit Mitra, who is the Chief Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister now. In 2023, the Chief Minister visited Spain to scout investments for the state.
IANS