Mamata meets PM, says NCTC anti-federal

New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at 7 RCR and expressed her objection to the National Counter Terrorism Centre.

Addressing mediapersons after the meeting, the Trinamool Congress chief said that she conveyed to the Prime Minister that NCTC disturbed the federal structure of the country.

Banerjee also asked the Prime Minister about the need of the Central anti-terror agency.

"I received a letter from the Prime Minister where it was told that in 2001, a GoM recommended the formation of NCTC… I said what was the need of this after 11 years," said Banerjee.

The West Bengal Chief Minister further told the Prime Minister not to implement NCTC unless the state governments were consulted over the issue.

"We are not against fighting terrorism, but state governments should be consulted," she said.

She further said that the Prime Minister assured her that the Home Ministry would answer the concerns of the states on the issue.

Banerjee also discussed the Farakka Barrage issue with Singh, telling him that the issue should be decided as per the agreement.

"I told the PM that disaster may take place anytime… I demanded a high powered inquiry into the issue," said the Chief Minister. Singh assured her that the Water Resources Ministry was working on plugging leakages in the Barrage. Singh told her that he, too, was worried about the issue.

Ahead of the meeting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had made attempts to placate the opposing state governments, including Mamata Banerjee. The Prime Minister had written to seven chief ministers assuring them that the powers of the states would not be compromised by setting up of the NCTC.

The PM had also said that the government had no intention to alter the federal structure enshrined in the Constitution. The letter assured all CMs that the Home Minister will hold consultations with them, claiming that the NCTC would only be a co-ordination hub.

The Gorkhaland bill was also raised by Banerjee during the meeting. Singh informed her that the bill was being processed by the Home Ministry to expedite it.