In a first, Narendra Modi and Mamata Banerjee to share stage, hold meet
Kolkata: In what is going to be a highly significant political development in West Bengal, erstwhile adversaries Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minister Mamata Banerjee will not only share stage for the first time in public at official programmes but will also have a separate tête-a-tête at the Raj Bhavan on Saturday evening.
Mr Modi on his maiden two-day visit will unveil major insurance and pension schemes in the city on the first day and inaugurate the refurbished IISCO plant at Burnpur on Sunday. The chief minister is scheduled to attend both the events.
But her one-on-one meeting with the PM for 30 minutes is expected to be crucial for her on the eve of the completion of her four-year rule. All eyes will be focused on the outcome of the high-profile meeting between two bitter political foes who have decided to become friends because of their own political compulsions.
Political observers feel that Mr Modi will try to send a positive signal about his government’s willingness to cooperate with the state in matters of development, apparently with an eye on the Assembly elections in 2016.
Ignoring Delhi or even Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, the PM has chosen Kolkata as the venue for launching the social security schemes for the unorganised sector which accounts for a sizeable part in the state’s economy.
Asked about what kind of response the Centre is expecting from the state on the accounts of the three schemes: Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana and Atal Pension Yojana to be launched by Mr Modi, finance ministry’s secretary (financial services) Hasmukh Adhia on Friday showered lavish praises on the people of the West Bengal.
“The people of the state are aware and educated. I hope that they will respond to it well,” he said at a press meet organised by the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Elaborating the government’s mission, Mr Adhia explained, “After the massive success of the Jan Dhan scheme under which around 15 crores of bank accounts were opened, the government is going to unveil the three social security schemes under the Jan Suraksha programme.”
The chief minister is expected to demand a financial package including debt moratorium during her meeting with the PM. The Opposition however alleged that Ms Banerjee decided to replace her earlier hostility against Mr Modi with bonhomie because she desperately wanted the CBI investigation into the multi-crore Saradha chit fund scam to slow down.
Meanwhile Ms Banerjee announced the opening of the international airport in Burdwan this month. In a Facebook post she said, “I am delighted that India’s first private green-field airport set up in collaboration with Changi International Airport of Singapore is ready for commercial operation from 18th May, 2015 at Durgapur. Air India will fly to and fro from Kolkata.”
She expressed her satisfaction over the operators proposal to keep the fare reasonable with a special discount of 25 per cent for the students, patients, family members of land-givers for the project and all state government officers.
she informed that her government has exempted sales tax on aviation turbine fuel for the airport till 2020-21 to make air-travel affordable for the common people.
