West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the chief ministers' conference on December 5 in New Delhi, an official familiar with the matter told news agency PTI.
Banerjee may press for the release of the state's dues by the Centre during the upcoming meeting, the official stated.
According to the official, she may also raise to Modi's attention the issue of Ganga erosion in and around the Farakka barrage.
"The chief minister is anticipated to highlight the arrears waiting for the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in Bengal during the meeting," the official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
PM Modi has convened the meeting of chief ministers in the national capital as India will host the G-20 Summit in 2023.
The invitation has also reached Banerjee's office, and the chief minister will go to Delhi to attend the meeting, according to the official, PTI reported.
The meeting between Banerjee and Modi is expected at a time when there is growing clamour from states for the release of dues from the Centre.
Banerjee calculated in a memorandum to PM Modi that the state's dues from the central government as of July 31, 2022 are expected to be roughly Rs 1,00,968.44 crore.
Banerjee recently wrote to Modi, expressing her concern about the Ganga river's continual erosion in Malda, Murshidabad, and Nadia districts, and requesting that the prime minister to encourage the ministry in charge to conduct detailed research and develop an integrated plan to address the problem, PTI reported.
Earlier this week, Banerjee made a remark against the BJP-led Union government, claiming that if the Centre did not clear the state's debts, the state may be forced to stop paying Goods and Services Tax (GST).
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She remarked at a gathering in the tribal-dominated Jhargram district that the Centre must either discharge states' debts or step down.
Banerjee said that the Centre was neglecting to distribute funding under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and asked tribals to demonstrate in the streets.
"Do we have to beg before the Centre to get our financial dues cleared? They are not releasing MNREGA funds. The BJP government has to step down from power if it does not clear our dues," PTI quoted the chief minister as saying.
In August, the Bengal chief minister met with the Prime Minister. She urged PM Modi to help her acquire West Bengal's share of funds from the Centre under various programmes, including MGNREGA and the PM Awas Yojana, stating that a lack of funds has caused "great distress" among the rural population, Indian Express reported.
(With Inputs From Agencies)