Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has no time for Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan. Not even to talk an issue as important as the Food Security Bill. Her pre-scheduled ‘engagements’ have forced her to refuse an appointment with the Union Minister who is coming to Kolkata on Saturday.
Pawan’s office that had earlier sought an appointment between 12 and 2 pm has been curtly told that the Chief Minister would not be available for the meeting as she had pre-scheduled engagements. Banerjee is, however, scheduled to meet another Union Minister Smriti Irani early next month.
Curiously, the communication denying appointment from the CM’s office has met with a similar ‘reply’ from Paswan’s office which has promptly cancelled a pre-fixed appointment with State Food Minister Jyoti Priya Mullick. The duo were to meet on Saturday.
The CM’s decision to ‘avoid’ Paswan is seen against the backdrop of heightened criticism from the left and the Congress against Banerjee for allegedly toning down her rhetoric against the BJP-led NDA — particularly on issues like the Railway fare hike — after it came to power in the Centre.
Paswan was supposed to hold talks with the Chief Minister on vital issues like the Food Security Bill, sources said. This apart he was also to meet senior officials on issues like quantity of of food grains stored in the godowns.