Mamata writes to NITI Aayog Chairperson as a report on West Bengal shows map of Bihar

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to the NITI Aayog vice-chairperson on Wednesday (July 9, 2025) expressing deep concern that the map intended to show West Bengal in a report has instead printed the map of Bihar. 

In her letter addressed to Suman Bery, she mentioned the report titled, “Summary Report for the State of West Bengal” which was published by NITI Aayog on their website and was still available with the wrong map when this report was written. 

In a post shared on social media handle X, Ms. Banerjee has called this a “grave lapse in mapping West Bengal” and voiced her “unequivocal disapproval” for the misrepresentation. 

“Such a grave lapse in an official document of a premier national institution is not merely a technical error but an affront to the identity and dignity of the State of West Bengal. Such a blunder in an official publication of NITI Aayog, reflects an alarming lack of diligence and respect towards the States of the Union,” Ms. Banerjee’s official letter to the NITI Aayog officials read. 

She also raised doubts about the rigor and reliability of the institution’s work and said that they are a government organisation who the people depend on for authentic information and such misrepresentation can lead to major doubt about the credibility of the organisation. 

On behalf of the West Bengal Government, the CM asked for an explanation and a formal apology from the NITI Aayog officials and requested them to take immediate corrective steps to rectify the mistake on the official document. She also asked the officials to ensure that such mistakes do not happen in the future. 

Trinamool Congress also took their official social media handle on X and said that such mislabeling of maps can lead to questions about the credibility of NITI Aayog’s reports and publications. 

“This is a direct affront to Bengal’s identity and dignity, raising serious concerns about the rigour and authenticity,” the TMC official post stated, “Trust the country’s apex policy think tank to confuse Bengal with Bihar in an official state summary.”