Shah-Mamata discussions likely during Nov 5 Eastern Zonal Council meet

Kolkata: Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to have discussions with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during the Eastern Zonal Council meeting scheduled to be held on November 5, a senior official said on Wednesday.

Apart from Banerjee, Shah is also likely to meet the chief ministers of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Sikkim on the same day and discuss several issues, including those regarding inter-state boundaries, he said.

“We have received confirmation from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) about Amit Shah chairing the meeting that is scheduled to be held at state secretariat Nabanna on November 5.

“West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to be present at the meeting and may separately hold discussions with Shah. The CMs of four other states — Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Sikkim are also scheduled to be present in the meeting,” the official told PTI.

The meeting is likely to be focussed on unsettled issues between these states, including those related to boundaries, besides the completion of the eastern freight corridor.

In 2018, West Bengal had hosted a similar meeting chaired by the then Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Banerjee was present at the meeting held at the same venue.