Karnataka, Kerala, Bengal CMs to skip today’s NITI Aayog meet in Delhi
The 10th meeting of the governing council chaired by PM Modi will focus on states, with a view to make India a developed nation by 2047, according to an official statement
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will not attend the 10th meeting of NITI Aayog Governing Council to be held in New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday (May 24).
"The Chief Minister is not boycotting the meeting, but he has a prior engagement in Mysuru," a source close to the Karnataka CM told PTI. The source said the Chief Minister has sent his address to the Governing council of the NITI Aayog.
He, however, did not clarify who would present Siddaramaiah's address in the meeting.
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Kerala’s Finance Minister to attend
Sources in the Kerala government said that CM Vijayan has designated state Finance Minister KN Balagopal to go in his stead.
However, since it is a meeting of CMs, it is not clear whether Balagopal would be able to attend it, the sources said.
No reason was given for the CM not attending the meeting.
Last year also, Vijayan had not attended a Niti Aayog meeting of CMs in Delhi and had sent Balagopal in his stead.
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Mamata will not attend meet
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will skip the Niti Aayog meeting in Delhi on Saturday, sources in the state secretariat said. The reason behind her decision not to participate in the meeting was undisclosed, they said.
There was no official statement about who would represent West Bengal in the meeting in the absence of the chief minister. Chief Secretary Manoj Pant is likely to be present in the meeting, they said.
10th governing council meeting
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Saturday chair the 10th governing council meeting of the NITI Aayog, which will focus on states, with a view to make India a developed nation by 2047, according to an official statement.
The theme of the meeting is 'Viksit Rajya for Viksit Bharat@2047'.
The meeting is expected to deliberate on the initiatives taken in the Budget 2025-26 and the challenges being faced by the Indian economy.
The country's economy is facing headwinds following the imposition of reciprocal tariffs by the US administration under President Donald Trump.
India is expected to grow in the range of 6.2-6.7 per cent in the current fiscal, despite the possibility of the US economy slipping into a recession, China's growth taking a heavy beating, and globally, countries seeing slowing economic activity.
(With agency inputs)