Bhagwant Mann slams former Punjab CMs for skipping NITI Aayog meets: 'They undervalued it'

Ahead of the NITI Aayog's seventh governing council meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann who is also set to attend the meeting launched a scathing attack on his predecessors and former Punjab chief ministers, Charanjit Singh Channi and Captain Amarinder Singh over skipping the NITI Aayog meetings during their tenure. 

Speaking to the media on Saturday, the Punjab Chief Minister while divulging details about his agenda in the meeting made comments on the former chief ministers. 

"On several occasions in the past, the NITI Aayog called the former CMs Charanjit Singh Channi and Captain Amarinder Singh to attend the meetings and raise the issues. However, it was very unfortunate for Punjab as they undermined the value of the meeting and took no interest. Neither did they send any of their officials to attend on their behalf", he said.

Mann further also added that after three years a representative from the state of Punjab is going to attend the NITI Aayog's meeting with complete homework. Bhagwant Mann's statements before the meeting clearly indicate that he is looking to raising the issues of the state in the meeting which he claimed were previously ignored by the former chief ministers. 

Notably, the meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 AM at the Rashtrapati Bhawan Cultural Centre in the national capital. This is the first physical meeting of the council after July 2019 and will witness the participation of all chief ministers. 

CM Mann to highlight two major issues concerning water and farmers

While speaking about his participation in the meeting, the Punjab chief minister stated that he will raise several issues before NITI Aayog especially focusing on water and farmers. 

Asserting that he has done his "homework" on Punjab issues, Mann said, "I will raise issues of water, the debt of farmers, legal guarantee to MSP, canal system, cleaning of 'buddha nallah' (in Ludhiana), BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board) and also health-related matters." 

In addition to that, he would also try to meet Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Delhi where he would raise the issue of direct international flights from Amritsar and Mohali airports to London, Chicago, San Francisco, and Vancouver. 

Image: PTI