Mamata to attend NITI Aayog meeting but 'reluctantly'

Kolkata, June 15 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday confirmed that she would attend the NITI Aayog's governing council meeting in Delhi on Sunday, albeit "reluctantly" due to her commitments on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

The meeting, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was earlier scheduled on Saturday (June 16).

Banerjee, who earlier expressed her unwillingness to attend the meeting as the date clashed with Eid-ul-Fitr, also revealed that she has been requested by a number of Chief Ministers to attend the high-level meeting.

"The NITI Aayog meeting was initially scheduled on June 16. But I pointed out that those of us who are scheduled to attend the Eid prayers would not be able to attend the meeting. So the meeting has been rescheduled to 9 a.m. on June 17.

"Still it is difficult for us as we have to rush to Delhi immediately after attending the celebrations on Saturday night," Banerjee said at the state secretariat Nabanna.

"I have to go tomorrow even though I am not much willing to attend it. I am going because it is possibly the last meeting of NITI Aayog. Also a number of Chief Ministers have requested me to go there as they want to discuss the situation of their states."

The Trinamool Congress supremo also wished the people of the state a happy Eid-ul-Fitr and said she would attend the celebrations on Saturday at the city's iconic Red Road.