Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 'National Ganga Council' (NGC) meeting on December 30 in Kolkata. According to administrative sources, if the schedule remains unchanged, the Prime Minister would come to Kolkata to attend the NGC meeting.
At least 10 ministries are associated with the 'National Ganga Council' of the Central government. Apart from West Bengal, the Chief Ministers of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand are likely to attend the meeting. State Secretariat Nabanna has already completed preparations for that high-level meeting. However, it has not yet been confirmed whether Mamata Banerjee will attend the meeting on behalf of the state Secretariat Nabanna.
Several important issues, including the breach of the Ganga in the area of Malda and Murshidabad, where the Ganga erosion has taken a dangerous shape may be raised during the meeting. Besides this, beautifying the Ganges can also be discussed with all ministers in the meeting.
The 'Ganga Parishad' meeting was held in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur in December 2019, but the Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Jharkhand did not attend. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has raised the demands of West Bengal several times during her meeting with PM Modi in New Delhi. She recently met PM Modi ahead of the G-20 conference in Delhi.
On December 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a virtual meeting of Governors, Chief Ministers and Lieutenant Governors to discuss issues related to India's G20 presidency, and said it is a unique opportunity for the country to showcase its strengths. During the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasised the importance of teamwork and sought the cooperation of states and Union Territories in the organisation of various G20 events.
