West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee will go to Delhi for a three-day trip from 1 May to hold talks with ministers on several issues mainly development work of the country’s largest coal block Deocha-Pachami in Birbhum district in Bengal.
According to sources at the state secretariat Nabanna, she has several administrative programmes relating to the state in Delhi on 2 May. She will return on 3 May.
Two major issues Deocha-Pachami coal block and programme schedules on 150 years’ birth anniversary of Mahatama Gandhi would be discussed during her two-day- stay in the Capital.
Significantly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already a called a meeting with chief ministers of all states on 2 May to discuss the programme schedule on Gandhiji’s birth anniversary programme.
Miss Banerjee may attend the programme though it is not officially confirmed yet. It will be significant if she attends the chief ministers’ meeting called by Mr Modi as she had skipped several other meetings called by the Prime Minister earlier, political analysts feel.
“The chief minister’s Delhi visit, which comes at a time when the Opposition parties are alleging that pre-panchayat poll violence was unleashed by the ruling Trinamul Congress, might have some political significance,” an analyst said requesting anonymity.
It has not yet been confirmed whether she has any meeting with political leaders of either BJP or Congress this time in Delhi.
For Deocha-Pachami coal block, the state government has a plan of Rs 12,000 crore to develop the huge coal mine belt that can generate one lakh jobs. She will discuss the project viability with Union coal minister Piyush Goyal.
The state government has shown interest to develop the block that can produce coal worth more than Rs two lakh. Responding to the state government’s proposal the Centre has already set up an intra-ministerial committee to explore the project.