New Delhi:
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in Delhi last night for a meeting with Prime Minister later today.
Though for the record, the meeting is to discuss issues of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and "excess flow of water" to Bangladesh through the Farakka barrage, it assumes significance as it comes in the backdrop of growing confrontation between a group of seven chief ministers and the Centre over a new anti-terror agency, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Mamata Banerjee is one of the seven chief ministers who are opposing the Home Ministry's proposal to set up the NCTC.
Yesterday, in an attempt to dismantle the confrontation, the Prime Minister sent letters to the chief ministers assuring state governments that their concerns about NCTC are being addressed. (Read:
Prime Minister writes to seven Chief Ministers who objected to new anti-terror body)
Dr Manmohan Singh says he has instructed the Home Ministry to address the questions raised by the Group of 7 - a hefty conglomerate that includes Ms Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik of Odisha, Jayalalithaa of Tamil Nadu, Nitish Kumar of Bihar and Narendra Modi of Gujarat. They have all agreed that the Centre should have consulted state governments before issuing an executive order that sanctions the NCTC; they also believe that in its current form, the "draconian" order violates the principles of federalism.
In his letter, Dr Singh wrote, "In forming the NCTC, it is not the Government's intent in any way to affect the basic features of the Constitutional provisions and allocation of powers between the States and the Union" (Read:
PM's letter to Chief Ministers)
Last Saturday, Ms Banerjee had alleged that the Centre had kept secret the fact about the two damaged sluice gates on the Farakka Barrage, resulting in Bangladesh getting 82,801 cusecs of water as against 35,000 cusecs it is supposed to get during the dry season.
"I sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to discuss the issue of GTA and the problem arising out of excess flow of water to Bangladesh through the broken sluice gates on Farakka barrage. I will discuss these issues with him on Wednesday," she said.
Ms Banerjee has said that the tripartite agreement on Gorkhaland Territorial Administration had already been signed, but its implementation was being delayed. "Why should there be delay? I will seek PM's intervention," she had said.
(With PTI inputs)