Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday wrote a letter to NITI Aayog vice chairman Suman Bery, expressing her strong disapproval over West Bengal being mislabelled as Bihar in their official summary report.
The chief minister condemned the error and sought an apology from NITI Aayog for the mistake as well as taking immediate corrective measures in this connection.
In her letter she wrote, “The map intended to represent the State of West Bengal has depicted the territory of Bihar in its place.”
“I am writing with deep concern and unequivocal disapproval that in the “Summary Report for the State of West Bengal,” published by NITI Aayog and available on its official website, the map intended to represent the State of West Bengal has depicted the territory of Bihar in its place,” the CM wrote.
Describing the error as a “grave lapse” of the NITI Aayog, the CM said such a blunder in an official publication of NITI Aayog reflects an “alarming lack of diligence and respect” towards the states of the Union.
“Such a grave lapse in an official document of a premier national institution is not merely a technical error, but an affront to the identity and dignity of the State of West Bengal. Such a blunder in an official publication of NITI Aayog, reflects an alarming lack of diligence and respect towards the States of the Union,” the CM wrote. Additionally, Mamata Banerjee also pointed towards the “reliability of the institution’s work”. “This raises legitimate concerns about the rigor and reliability of the institution’s work, which policymakers and citizens alike depend upon for accurate and informed decision-making and casts significant doubt on the -quality, authenticity and credibility of reports and publications of NIT Aayog,” she wrote.
Condemning the inaccuracy, CM Banerjee wrote, “The Government of West Bengal strongly condemns this inaccuracy and calls upon NITI Aayog to issue a clarification and apology and take immediate corrective action to rectify the document and to institute robust mechanisms to prevent such lapses in future.”