KalingaTV News Network
Bhubaneswar: After the opposition parties in Odisha – Congress and BJP – roundly criticized Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for skipping the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog meeting, BJD MP and Spokesperson Pratap Deb said that Patnaik had informed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his absence.
“Odisha Chief Minister could not attend the NITI Aayog meeting as he had prescheduled engagements. Besides, he had given in writing to the PM and Niti Aayog officials on Odisha’s stand for the upcoming meeting. Moreover, the NITI Aayog is not a constitutional mandate,” said Deb while addressing a press meet here today.
On the other hand, OPCC President Niranjan Patnaik said that it is very unfortunate that Odisha CM is not attending the meeting, which is the highest forum of the country to place issues of the state. He should have taken a positive call on attending the meeting.
Similarly, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram said, “Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik is focusing more on party responsibilities and has forgotten his constitutional obligations. This is against the letter and spirit of the Constitution. We are all bonded by federal democracy and NITI Aayog is a right forum to discuss issues among Centre and states.”
Ms Kalinga