Suvendu plea for whip on DMs over PM meeting absence: to initiate action against the DMs in the state who did not attend the virtual meeting convened by the PM

Modi had convened a virtual discussion with top officials ofdistricts, along with their chief ministers, to take feedback on implementation of several central schemes

Suvendu Adhikari: File photo

TT Special Correspondent   |   Calcutta   |   24.01.22  :  Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday said he would write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah with a request to initiate action against district magistrates of Bengal for not attending the Prime Minister’s virtual meeting with DMs on Saturday.

But sources at Nabanna said Bengal’s DMs had not been invited to attend the meeting.

“I will write to the Prime Minister as well as the Union home minister, urging them to initiate action against the DMs in the state who did not attend the virtual meeting convened by the Prime Minister on Saturday,” said Adhikari.

Adhikari had raised questions on the absence of the DMs of Bengal on Saturday evening itself.

Sources at Nabanna said Modi had convened a virtual meeting with the DMs of aspirational districts of some states, along with their chief ministers, to take feedback on implementation of several central schemes.

“In yesterday’s meetings, select states like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Karnataka were invited. Chief ministers and DMs of the aspirational districts of these states attended the meeting. Bengal was not invited yesterday. The state can be invited later,” said a source.

The Telegraph sent a WhatsApp message to Bengal chief secretary H.K. Dwivedi on the matter. But he did not reply till Sunday evening.

The sources at Nabanna have said Bengal has three aspirational districts — Birbhim, Nadia and South Dinajpur. “In 2018, the Bengal chief minister and the DMs of aspirational districts had attended a similar meeting.… Bit since then, the state hasn’t participated in any such meeting. It is still not clear whether the state would attend the meeting if invited on a later date,” said an official.