July 15 is a historic day for the Trinamool Congress Government of West Bengal. On this day, the 100th administrative meeting of the State Government is going to be held, which would be presided over by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This is the first time since independence that a Chief Minister has undertaken 100 such CM-to-BDO meetings, spread over all the districts.
This meeting was scheduled a long time back, and hence Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s schedule for July 15 was decided much before the NITI Aayog meeting on the issue of land acquisition was called.
The party’s view on land acquisition is well known. It was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had undertaken a 26-day fast on the issue. It was Trinamool Congress that moved a resolution in Parliament opposing the 2013 Land Acquisition Bill. The 2013 Bill was opposed by only one party in Parliament – Trinamool Congress, which even called for a division of votes.
The above reasons for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s inability to attend the NITI Aayog meeting has been communicated clearly in a letter to the Prime Minister.