Four months after state government officials decided not to be part of the Bundeklhand Convergence meet called in Orcha, Madhya Pradesh, while demanding a separate meeting in the state, the Centre has called a separate meeting for UP in Jhansi on February 20.

Senior officials of the UP government, including the chief secretary as well as principal secretary, Rural Development are, however, likely to give it a miss again.

"We have been told that while the chief secretary would not be part of the meet because of his busy schedule, the principal secretary, Rural Development, has opted out because he has to attend the Flower and Vegetable Exhibition at the Governor’s House on Saturday,” Union Minister of State for Rural Development said on Friday while he was on his way to Jhansi to participate in the meet.

Asked about the absence of senior state officials despite the fact that the UP government had demanded such a meeting, a senior UP Government official said, "While we do not remember any invite being sent out for the chief secretary, Principal Secretary (Rural Development) Shrikrishna is also looking after the Horticulture department and therefore has to attend the exhibition at the Governor’s House. Other officials, including commissioner of Rural Development and 14 district magistrates will attend the meet.”

The meet has been called for "Inter-sectoral convergence with MNREGS for enhancing productivity” in 14 districts of Uttar Pradesh, seven of which fall in Bundelkhand.

On October 13, a similar meeting was called in Orcha for 13 districts of Bundelkhand in UP and MP. The UP government had, however, decided to boycott the meet and later asked for a separate meeting. The meet would discuss the ways and processes to introduce inter-sectoral convergence with MNREGA for enhancing productivity in 14 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

After the meeting in Jhansi, the minister along with Central officials will spend the night in a village in Bundelkhand. "The idea is to get a ground-level feel of the implementation of different development schemes,” said the minister.