Kolkata, Dec 10 (IANS): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has skipped the 26th Eastern Zonal Council meeting in Patna on Sunday to be chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Instead, West Bengal will be represented by the Minister of state in charge of the finance department, Chandrima Bhattacharya. The latter flew to Patna on Sunday morning.

On Saturday, the chief minister announced that she has sought time from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi between December 18 and December 20 at New Delhi for discussion on the unpaid central dues to the West Bengal government under various centrally- sponsored schemes.

Before leaving for Patna on Sunday morning, Chandrima Bhattacharya told media persons at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport that the discussions will be on issues of irrigation and health among others.

However, she refused to give any direct answer to the media queries on the BSP’s decision to suspend its MP Danish Ali allegedly for allegedly supporting expelled Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra on the floor of the House on the 'cash for query' scam.

“This is BSP's internal matter and I am not in a position to comment on it. But I have seen that our MP was able to answer all the queries herself,” Bhattacharya said.