Mamata Banerjee Slams NITI Aayog for Depicting Bihar as West Bengal in Official Report, Demands Apology and Immediate Correction

KalimNews, Kolkata, July 10, 2025 :  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed strong condemnation and deep concern after NITI Aayog, the Government of India’s premier policy think tank, published a report titled "Summary Report for the State of West Bengal" that included a map showing the state of Bihar in place of West Bengal. The Chief Minister raised the issue officially on Wednesday, July 9, by writing a strongly worded letter to NITI Aayog’s Vice Chairperson, Suman K. Bery, calling the error a "grave lapse" and demanding an apology as well as immediate corrective measures.

In her letter, Banerjee stated that such an error, in an official publication of a national institution of high repute, was not merely a technical oversight but an insult to the identity and dignity of the State of West Bengal. She said the blunder reflected a worrying lack of diligence, seriousness, and respect toward the states of the Union and raised serious doubts about the authenticity, reliability, and standards of the NITI Aayog’s work.

“This is not just a map error. It’s an affront to the people of Bengal,” she wrote. “The map intended to represent the State of West Bengal has, in fact, depicted the territory of Bihar. This error, appearing in an official publication available on the NITI Aayog website, not only undermines the credibility of the institution but also causes confusion and questions the integrity of data and publications emerging from such a source.”

Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale had earlier flagged the issue publicly by sharing a screenshot of the erroneous map on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), bringing widespread attention to the mistake. The map, which was supposed to highlight development indicators and statistical data specific to West Bengal, instead inaccurately displayed Bihar’s territorial boundaries while still listing data corresponding to West Bengal.

Despite the gravity of the mistake, the report remained unchanged and accessible on the NITI Aayog website at the time of writing, further intensifying the state government’s disapproval.

In her letter, Banerjee demanded an official clarification and apology from NITI Aayog, urging the institution to correct the report immediately and implement strong internal protocols to prevent such lapses in the future. “Such instances cast a shadow on the quality of governance and policymaking and call for urgent introspection and action by institutions tasked with advising national development strategies,” she wrote.

The Chief Minister’s rebuke comes amid a politically sensitive environment, where state-central relations have already been marked by tension and mistrust. The error has reignited conversations about the accountability of central institutions and the importance of precision and respect in matters concerning state representation.

While NITI Aayog has yet to respond publicly to the matter, political and administrative circles across the state have rallied behind Banerjee’s stance, echoing that any misrepresentation of a state's geography in a national-level report is unacceptable and must be treated with the seriousness it deserves.

As the issue gains national attention, observers await the response of NITI Aayog and the steps it will take to address the concerns raised by the West Bengal government, as well as to uphold the credibility of its future publications.