TIA Correspondent
Parliament today gave its approval to the 100th Constitution Amendment Bill to settle the 41-year old boundary dispute between India and Bangladesh with the unanimous passage of the Bill in the Lok Sabha today. 331 members voted in favour of the Bill. The Rajya Sabha had cleared the Bill yesterday. The bill stipulates redrawing India’s boundary with Bangladesh by exchanging enclaves in Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.
Replying to the discussion, External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj said that the agreement will further strengthen the bonds between India and Bangladesh. It will send right signals to the other neighbouring countries that India wants cordial relations with all of them. Its message is that India considers them all as equals with nothing but goodwill.
Mrs. Swaraj said that the Centre has formulated a rehabilitation package of three thousand eight crore rupees as demanded by the West Bengal Government. The required funds will be made available to West Bengal. She said that the Home Ministry will be the nodal agency for implementing the rehabilitation package. Brushing aside Members’ concern, the Minister said this agreement will not shrink our borders.
In fact, India will gain 510 acres of land. She said ten thousand acres of land will notionally go to Bangladesh from India but these are remote enclaves which India cannot access. She said the maritime boundary with Bangladesh has already been settled and the government will try to resolve the river water dispute between the two countries in consultation with the West Bengal Government.
As per the 1974 agreement between New Delhi and Dhaka, 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladesh enclaves in India will be exchanged.