Kolkata, Feb 19 (IANS) Hours before her maiden visit to Bangladesh as the West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee Thursday remained mum on the contentious Teesta water sharing deal but exuded confidence of a breakthrough in the land boundary agreement.
"I won't say anything on Teesta. If you have questions on other issues, you can ask," Banerjee told media persons at the state assembly premises.
Banerjee said she has assured External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that West Bengal and Bangladesh - who share the common language Bengali - were continuing to build bridges.
"We have already informed the central government about our willingness for the settlement of the land border agreement. We have told the centre about preparing a rehabilitation package for the enclave dwellers. We are very positive about the issue being settled this time," Banerjee said.
Once the land boundary agreement (LBA) is passed, India will cede 111 enclaves measuring 17,160 acres to Bangladesh and receive 51 enclaves covering 7,110 acres. More than 51,000 people reside in these enclaves.
"We need to think and plan about the enclave dwellers. We have sent a proposal of rehabilitation package for the enclave dwellers to the central government," said Banerjee, who had earlier opposed the pact only to make a U-turn after the BJP-led central government expressed its eagerness to ratify the agreement.
"Sushma Swaraj also called me up to offer her best wishes. I assured her we will continue our efforts of building bridges," said Banerjee, who heads the Trinamool Congress.
The Teesta water sharing pact has been put on hold after the Trinamool's strong opposition, over fears that the treaty could spell disaster for northern West Bengal.
In September 2011, Banerjee had embarrassed then prime minister Manmohan Singh by pulling out of the prime minister-led delegation to Bangladesh over the water sharing agreement, forcing India to drop it from the agenda.
During her three-day trip to the neighbouring nation beginning Thursday, the chief minister will meet Bangladesh President Mohammad Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"Besides having a one-to-one meeting with Hasina, I will also meet the president and their external affairs minister. A business delegation is accompanying us and we will have a business meet there.
"Our Singapore visit was very fruitful which was evident during the Global Business summit here. We hope our Bangladesh visit will also be very fruitful," Banerjee said.
The chief minister, who is undertaking the trip on an invitation by Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali, will attend the main function at Dhaka's Shaheed Minar on the occasion of Mother Language Day Feb 21, which commemorates the martyrdom of Bangladeshi youths during the Language Movement in 1952.
Banerjee is also scheduled to address a business conclave organised by the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI) in association with the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Kolkata.
She would be visiting the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi and also be present at a reception hosted in her honour by India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran.
State Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim, Tourism Minister and playwright Bratya Basu, actors-turned-MPs Deb and Moonmoon Sen, and business magnates Harsh Neotia and J.P. Choudhury are part of the entourage.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday fixed July 20 for hearing several petitions challenging the Centr
Israeli soldiers reached the center of Khan Younis city in southern Gaza on Wednesday and fought
Two huge rocks brought from the Kali Gandaki river of Nepal were dedicated to the idol of Ramlala
Covid-19: Corona breaks all records till date, 7466 new cases in 24 hours, 175 deaths
new Delhi.
The impact of Coronavirus infection spread from China to the world is growing
Madhya Pradesh CM Dr. Mohan Yadav, after taking oath on Wednesday morning, took charge of the min
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is considering organizing the second phase of IP
Salman Khan, famous as the Dabangg hero in Bollywood, has been forced to live under heavy securit
What will happen to the T20 World Cup if the Corona case increases in India? Learn the answer of ICC
Corona is at the peak in India at this time, with the number of infected people arriving daily ha
Fans of both countries eagerly wait to watch the cricket match between India and Pakistan. Due to
Primitive humans died 40 thousand years ago, but their DNA was not found on Earth
The primitive man was discovered in the year 1856, but even today the mystery remains in many cas
