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Kolkata: It is unlikely that Sheikh Hasina will get India to sign the Teesta watersharing treaty during her present tenure as the prime minister of Bangladesh. Sources in Delhi confirmed that Mamata Banerjee has made it clear that her stand on the issue remains unchanged and urged the Centre not to take a decision till the Lok Sabha polls.
Elections in Bangladesh are also due in 2014 and Hasina, criticized for her pro-India stance, will face the heat if India refuses to ink the treaty by then.
Bangladesh had expected some development in the 38th Joint River Commission meeting to be held in Dhaka from June 18. This meeting was cancelled by India at the last minute. Though Bangladesh had initially demanded a 50% share of the Teesta water, in recent times the country was agreeable to a 25% share. The accord would likely have been signed by now had Mamata not put her foot down and refused to visit Bangladesh with PM Manmohan Singh in 2012. She had claimed that Bengal’s opinion had not been sought in the matter.
“In June this year, just before the JRC meet, the cabinet secretary received a letter from the chief secretary of West Bengal, informing the Centre that no minister from the state could attend the meeting in Dhaka due to the panchayat polls. The letter also spelt out quite clearly that West Bengal’s stance on the Teesta water-sharing treaty remains unchanged and the Centre shouldn’t take a decision before the Lok Sabha polls in 2014. After this letter, the government felt that there is no use convening the meet as Bangladesh would be looking forward to the Teesta agreement. The JRC meeting was called off thereby,” a source in Delhi said.
West Bengal minister incharge of the irrigation department Rajib Banerjee admitted that a letter was sent to Delhi. “I was to attend the JRC meeting in Dhaka and received an intimation from Delhi. However, according to the original schedule, the panchayat polls were to be held in June... We thereby wrote to the Centre about our inability to attend the JRC meet,” he said.
River expert Kalyan Rudra has headed a commission on the water issue. Though a report has been submitted, sources claim Mamata hasn’t gone through it. Rudra only said: “You can ask the chief minister and chief secretary about the report. I won’t be able to say anything.”
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Elections in Bangladesh are also due in 2014 and Hasina, criticized for her pro-India stance, will face the heat if India refuses to ink the treaty by then.
Bangladesh had expected some development in the 38th Joint River Commission meeting to be held in Dhaka from June 18. This meeting was cancelled by India at the last minute. Though Bangladesh had initially demanded a 50% share of the Teesta water, in recent times the country was agreeable to a 25% share. The accord would likely have been signed by now had Mamata not put her foot down and refused to visit Bangladesh with PM Manmohan Singh in 2012. She had claimed that Bengal’s opinion had not been sought in the matter.
“In June this year, just before the JRC meet, the cabinet secretary received a letter from the chief secretary of West Bengal, informing the Centre that no minister from the state could attend the meeting in Dhaka due to the panchayat polls. The letter also spelt out quite clearly that West Bengal’s stance on the Teesta water-sharing treaty remains unchanged and the Centre shouldn’t take a decision before the Lok Sabha polls in 2014. After this letter, the government felt that there is no use convening the meet as Bangladesh would be looking forward to the Teesta agreement. The JRC meeting was called off thereby,” a source in Delhi said.
West Bengal minister incharge of the irrigation department Rajib Banerjee admitted that a letter was sent to Delhi. “I was to attend the JRC meeting in Dhaka and received an intimation from Delhi. However, according to the original schedule, the panchayat polls were to be held in June... We thereby wrote to the Centre about our inability to attend the JRC meet,” he said.
River expert Kalyan Rudra has headed a commission on the water issue. Though a report has been submitted, sources claim Mamata hasn’t gone through it. Rudra only said: “You can ask the chief minister and chief secretary about the report. I won’t be able to say anything.”
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evil yindoo chanakyan baniyas...
