Mamata Banerjee to attend UPA meeting on Wednesday

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee will attend the UPA meeting in Delhi on August 22.

Before her meeting on Wednesday, Union defence minister A.K.Antony met Mamata at Writers' Buildings on Saturday and held talks with her for more than one and a half hours. Both Antony and Mamata had told reporters that they had discussed the issue of Kolkata's beautification and the Union government will support Mamata's move to beautify the city.

But political circles here said that Antony has tried hard to convince Mamata about the necessary to allow FDI in retail trade and sought her support to help the Centre to clear the issue in the floor of the parliament.

It is known to everybody that Mamata has opposed FDI in retail trade and made it clear that her party will raise its voice inside the parliament once the Centre tries to allow foreign investment in retail trade.

The Centre has a plan to discuss the FDI issue in the current session of the Lok Sabha and knowing fully well that Mamata will oppose the move, the union government is making all possible efforts to convince Mamata and therefore, assigned Antony for the job.

Trinamool Congress sources here said that there will be no change in their stand on the issue of opposing FDI in retail trade. "We have promised in our election manifesto that we will not allow FDI in retail as it will hurt the interests of our own countrymen. I feel that the party supremo will not deviate from her stand on the issue," said West Bengal industry minister Partha Chatterjee on Saturday.