thestringshredder
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KOLKATA: It is unlikely that Sheikh Hasina will get India to sign the Teesta water sharing treaty during her present tenure as the prime minister of Bangladesh. Sources in Delhi confirmed that Mamata Banerjee has made it very clear that her stand on the issue remains unchanged and urged the Centre not to take a decision till the Lok Sabha polls, slated to be held in 2014. General elections in Bangladesh are also due in 2014 and Hasina, criticised by her opponents 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 (JRC) meeting to be held in Dhaka from June 18. This meeting was cancelled by India at the last minute, leading to consternation in Bangladesh. Though Bangladesh had initially demanded a 50% share of the Teesta water, in recent times the country was agreeable to a 25% share for a start. The accord would likely have been signed by now had Mamata not put her foot down and refused to visit Bangladesh with prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2012. She had claimed that West Bengal's opinion had not been sought in the matter though the Teesta flows through the state.
"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 in charge 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. There was no time as arrangements for the elections had to be made. We thereby wrote to the Centre about our inability to attend the JRC meet in Dhaka," he said.
River expert Kalyan Rudra has headed a commission to look into the Teesta water sharing issue. Though a report has been submitted, sources claim that Mamata hasn't gone through it. When asked to comment on this, Rudra only said: "You can ask the chief minister and chief secretary about the report. I won't be able to say anything." When asked about the JRC meet, he added: "Neither the Centre, nor the state government has ever spoken to me about this."
The Teesta flows for nearly 315 km. Of this, about 130 km is through Bangladesh. Experts from the neighbouring country claim that India is channelising a large volume of water to meet her irrigation needs through a barrage at Gazaldoba. Bangladesh has been claiming that its Teesta Irrigation Project, that started in the 80's, is suffering heavily due to this. Apart from the farmers who are having to bear the brunt, even the health of the river on the Bangladesh side is at stake with an inadequate flow of water resulting in siltation.
Link - Mamata stalls Teesta water sharing agreement yet again - The Times of India
Mamata Didi Pagol hoye geche..!!
Bangladesh had expected some development in the 38th Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting to be held in Dhaka from June 18. This meeting was cancelled by India at the last minute, leading to consternation in Bangladesh. Though Bangladesh had initially demanded a 50% share of the Teesta water, in recent times the country was agreeable to a 25% share for a start. The accord would likely have been signed by now had Mamata not put her foot down and refused to visit Bangladesh with prime minister Manmohan Singh in 2012. She had claimed that West Bengal's opinion had not been sought in the matter though the Teesta flows through the state.
"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 in charge 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. There was no time as arrangements for the elections had to be made. We thereby wrote to the Centre about our inability to attend the JRC meet in Dhaka," he said.
River expert Kalyan Rudra has headed a commission to look into the Teesta water sharing issue. Though a report has been submitted, sources claim that Mamata hasn't gone through it. When asked to comment on this, Rudra only said: "You can ask the chief minister and chief secretary about the report. I won't be able to say anything." When asked about the JRC meet, he added: "Neither the Centre, nor the state government has ever spoken to me about this."
The Teesta flows for nearly 315 km. Of this, about 130 km is through Bangladesh. Experts from the neighbouring country claim that India is channelising a large volume of water to meet her irrigation needs through a barrage at Gazaldoba. Bangladesh has been claiming that its Teesta Irrigation Project, that started in the 80's, is suffering heavily due to this. Apart from the farmers who are having to bear the brunt, even the health of the river on the Bangladesh side is at stake with an inadequate flow of water resulting in siltation.
Link - Mamata stalls Teesta water sharing agreement yet again - The Times of India
Mamata Didi Pagol hoye geche..!!
