Narendra Modi's maiden visit to West Bengal crammed

Kolkata: Narendra Modi would begin his maiden trip as prime minister to West Bengal on Saturday, with a heady mix of governance, business, centre-state issues as also spiritualism and some politics crowding his two-day itinerary.

The prime minister, who is scheduled to arrive at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport at 5 p.m. on Saturday, would launch three ambitious social security schemes pertaining to the insurance and pension sector a hour later at a South Kolkata auditorium a hour later.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had a high-octane and often spiteful verbal duel with Modi in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls last year, would attend the programme at the Nazrul Manch, a venue refurbished by her government.

"The two insurance schemes to be launched, namely Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), would provide insurance cover in the unfortunate event of death by any cause/death or disability due to an accident," a finance ministry statement said.

The pension scheme, Atal Pension Yojana (APY), would address old age income security needs and mitigate the longevity risk.

After the 80-minute programme, Modi would call on Ramakrishna Math and ARamakrishna Mission's ailing president Swami Atmasthananda at a hospital run by the order about three kms away.

The 97-year-old Swami Atmasthananda is undergoing treatment for age-related health complications at the Ramakrishna Mission Seva Prathishthan in Kolkata since February 21

In his youth, Modi had wanted to be a monk of the order founded by Ramakrishna Paramhamsa but was turned away thrice.

During those days, Modi used to regularly meet Athmasthanandaji Maharaj, then deputed to the mission's Rajkot centre, but the monk told him that his calling lay elsewhere.

In 2013, the then Gujarat chief minister Modi visited Belur Math (located in Howrah district) and sought blessings from Athmasthananda.

The prime minister's convoy would then speed off to the historic Raj Bhavan - the abode of the governor generals and viceroys during the British era till the capital was shifted to Delhi in 1912 - where he would spend the night.

Modi is likely to have a tete-a-tete with Mamata Banerjee at the Raj Bhavan, with political circles agog with speculation about the subjects of the discussions that could range from a financial package including a moratorium on central loans sought by her government as also passage of some upcoming bills in the Rajya Sabha, where the Modi government does not command a majority and needs the support of parties like her Trinamool to get the numbers.

Banerjee could also ask for quick release of central funds for some of the schemes which are stalled for want of money.

The state's opposition parties, who have been dripping sarcasm over the meeting, have alleged that Banerjee could utilise the parleys to ensure the Central Bureau of Investigation goes slow on the Saradha chit fund scam, in which a Trinamool minister and several other leaders have been either arrested or grilled,

On May 10, Modi could go to the Dakshineswar Kali Temple, where Ramakrishna Paramhamsa was once the priest.

The next stop on the prime minister's itinerary is Belur Math, the global headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, where Modi would spend time with the monks, pray in the temples and mediate at the room of Swami Vivekananda, that would be specially opened for him at his request.

After Modi became prime minister, Atmasthananda congratulated him and invited him to Belur Math.

The last port of call in Modi's travel plans is Burdwan district's Burnpur, where he would reach by a chopper to inaugurate the Rs 18,000 crore modernised Indian Iron & Steel Company (IISCO).

Banerjee would also be present at the IISCO programme to be held at the Asansol Polo ground.

Interestingly, Asansol has a BJP Lok Sabha member, union minister Babul Supriyo.

West Bengal is slated to hold assembly elections next year, and the BJP has been campaigning aggressively to pitch itself as a major player in the eastern state, where it has been traditionally weak.