A tale of two chief Ministers: Chamling at NITI Aayog meet and Mamata being not there

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the chief ministers of Northeast states ahead of 

the first meeting of the governing council of Niti Aayog in New Delhi on Sunday. (PTI)

EOI, KOLKATA, 8 Feb 2015: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and chief minister Pawan Chamling of neighbouring Sikkim had a markedly different approach to the first governing council meeting of NITI Aayog in Delhi on Sunday, the former staying away from the exercise and the latter presenting a forceful case in favour of more resources and Central assistance for his state and the entire north-east region. In the bargain, West Bengal’s case remained unrepresented by default in a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister himself.

A PTI report from Delhi said Mamata was conspicuous by her absence from the NITI Aayog meet. Union finance minister was careful to point out that none from Bengal had attended the meeting. With the absence of the chief minister, the state remained unrepresented at the crucial meeting of the recently constituted National Institution for Transforming India. It may be mentioned that the Bengal chief minister has been crying hoarse ever since coming to power in 2011 that the state is fund-starved and not receiving adequate Central assistance.

Chamling, on the other hand, made a detailed presentation at the Niti Aayog meet, stating that the Aayog could help to usher in growth and development in the north-east region with a more focused approach and strategies, according an IPR release from Gangtok. Specific planning was required for the NE region in view of the difficulties of topography, remoteness and resource crunch it faces. The focus areas, he said, could be hydro power, tourism, organic farming and handicrafts. The region could be transformed into an economic hub of the entire country through the promotion of the “look east act east’ policy. He underscored the need for separate development projects for a fund-starved region like the NE. He also mentioned about the Gadgil-Mukherjee formula for special category states of 1991, arguing all Centrally-sponsored schemes should be 100 per cent Centrally funded. The role of the Development of North East Region ministry had diminished in recent years, he said, with outlay of DoNER registering a decline in real terms.

Presenting a forceful case for his own state Sikkim, Chamling said industries related to defence which were pollution-free cold be set up in the Himalayan state. The road connectivity needed to improve with the help of the Centre, he said. The role of Border Roads Organization should be strengthened to improve the condition National Highway 10, lifeline of Sikkim and also an important road from the point of view of defence.

Chamling mentioned about the progress construction of the Pakyong airport, a Greenfield project, highlighting the constraints delaying the project. He also made a strong case for extending railway connectivity to Sikkim, from Sevoke in Bengal to Rongpo. Work was held up as land was not available, he said. On the Sikkim side a rehabilitation plan had already been prepared for affected land owners and the state government had constituted a committee. An accessible and reliable telecom and information technology infrastructure was also a dream of the people of Sikkim and should also be a strategic priority, he said.

He lauded the decision of the Centre to negotiate with China and open a new route for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Sikkim. The route through Nathula Pass would provide comfortable travel by buses through the Tibet Autonomous Region, he said.