After Mamata Banerjee, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has also decided to skip today’s NITI Aayog meet. The Chief Ministers of all states were invited for a meeting to discuss the country’s development agenda for ‘New India 2022’. This would be the fifth General Council Meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi.
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According to official sources, KCR had initially intended to attend the meeting. He, however, changed his plans and wishes to meet the PM separately to invite him for the inauguration of Kaleshwaram project. On June 21st, the Telangana government would be inaugurating its prestigious Rs.80,000 crore Kaleshwaram mega irrigation and drinking water project.
The Chief Minister also wanted to meet the Prime Minister personally as he had missed the oath-taking ceremony. After having attended Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Reddy’s oath-taking ceremony, KCR could not fly to Delhi as his aircraft was denied permission to land after 4 pm.
On the other hand, Punjab Chief Captain Minister Amarinder Singh would not be attending the meeting owing to poor health.
In a statement, it was said that the agenda of the meeting would include aspirational districts programme, transforming agriculture and security related issues with special focus on left-wing extremism (LWE) districts.
Previously West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee decided to skip the meeting chaired by the PM. She had also said that the NITI Aayog meeting would be fruitless as they do not have any financial powers. In a 3-page letter to the PM, she had reportedly stated that it is ‘useless’ for her to attend the meet as the agenda is set by the centre without consulting the states.