Kolkata: Centres apathy in sanctioning financial support to the state to fight against COVID-19 is likely to be one of the various issues that would come up in the video conference between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over COVID-19 situation on Tuesday. The Prime Minister will hold the video conference with Chief Ministers of ten states including Bengal. The other states are Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Telengana, Bihar, Gujarat and Punjab. During almost all the previous video conferences with the Prime Minister including the virtual inauguration of ICMRs laboratory in Kolkata, Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh on July 27, Banerjee had mentioned about the need of sanctioning a special financial package for states to fight against the pandemic. Mainly for Bengal that is fighting simultaneously against the aftermath of cyclone Amphan and COVID-19 pandemic. But the Centre is yet to come up with any move to extend such support to the state government when the Mamata Banerjee government has already spent Rs 2,500 crore to fight against COVID-19 and released Rs 6250 crore for reconstruction work in the cyclone Amphan affected districts despite a sharp fall in revenue generation due to nationwide lockdown. The meeting on Tuesday is scheduled to start from 10.30 am. This is going to be the first video conference between the Prime Minister and concerned Chief Ministers after unlock 3 was announced. Vehemently protesting for depriving Bengal from speaking in the video conference held on June 16 and 17, the state government did not take part in the same just to be a "mute spectator". Despite her request to the Prime Minister on July 27 to release the legitimate outstanding dues of around Rs 53,000 crore and also to withdraw all conditions on borrowing under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act. But no steps have been taken in this regard. Both the issues beside the current COVID-19 situation in Bengal are expected to come up in the meeting. The states success of crossing the benchmark of 25,000 swab sample tests per day by setting up necessary infrastructure and other infrastructural development to fight against the disease would also come up in the meeting. Though the meeting is to discuss issues related to COVID-19 situation, experts are not rulling out the possibility of the issue related to National Education Policy (NEP) to come up in the meeting. The state Education department has constituted a six member committee with noted educationists eliciting opinion about the same.

Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.