Ranchi: The state government will be holding a cabinet meeting at the picturesque hill station of Netarhat next week to be followed by an informal interactive session with MLAs, the exercise aimed at ironing out some of the cracks that seem to have appeared within the ruling collation led by the BJP over issues concerning the chief secretary, DGP and the local residents' policy.
The meeting, scheduled for February 7, is likely to be held at Jungle Warfare School, Netarhat Vidyalaya. But one minister in the 11-member cabinet will not be attending.
Food and civil supplies minister Saryu Roy, who gave up his parliamentary affairs portfolio in a huff, has clarified that he would not be participating in the Netarhat meeting
"I am leaving for Delhi tomorrow (Sunday) and will be back on Tuesday or Wednesday. In Delhi, I will be attending the wedding reception of Goa Governor Mridula Sinha's granddaughter. I have no other special engagements and I have not sought an appointment with any central leader," Roy, who is also minister in-charge of Netarhat district, said.
BJP chief whip in the Assembly Radha Krishna Kishore confirmed having received invitations from chief minister Raghubar Das and tourism minister Amar Kumar Bauri, but clarified that the proposed meeting of MLAs supporting the Das government could not be termed as an NDA legislature party meeting.
"Wahan vidhayak apne mann ki baat rakhenge aur mukhya mantri apne dil ki baat kahenge (There, MLAs would speak their minds and the chief minister will speak from the heart). Netarhat is one of Jharkhand's favourite tourist destinations. The maiden cabinet meeting there would go long way in bringing about positive changes in the area," he opined.
Tourism secretary Rahul Sharma said preparations for the Netarhat meeting had begun in right earnest.
"Officially, we have not been conveyed how many ministers, MLAs and secretaries would be coming. But we are looking at over 60 VIPs. Food, transport and such other amenities will be taken care of with the help of the local administration," said tourism secretary Rahul Sharma, adding that the visitors would be accommodated in forest department guesthouse and the school.
He clarified that tourists, who had booked accommodation at JTDC hotels and tents, would not be disturbed. But no further bookings were being entertained as of now.
Cabinet meetings are usually held at Project Building that houses the main secretariat in capital Ranchi.
The Netarhat cabinet meeting would be the chief minister Das's third outside Ranchi. In February 2015, he held a cabinet meeting in Dumka and three months later in Chaibasa.
The first cabinet meeting in Dumka was presided over by then chief minister Arjun Munda in January 2006. Munda held another cabinet meeting in Dumka in November 2011.
The chief minister's office is understood to be busy making preparations. "The agenda of the cabinet meeting is being finalised. We may also organise friendly cricket or football matches for MLAs apart from a short sight seeing tour during their stay in Netarhat," confirmed a senior official at the chief minister's office.
