Lok Sabha takes up Bangladesh land accord bill

5 Dariya News

New Delhi 07-May-2015

The Lok Sabha on Thursday took up discussion on the bill concerning the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh, as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj urged the house to pass it unanimously as it will send a good message to the neighbouring country.Moving the Constitution (One Hundred and Nineteenth Amendment) Bill, 2013, for passage, Sushma Swaraj said it was passed unanimously by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday."There was no vote against it and there was no abstention (in the Rajya Sabha). It sent a message to Bangladesh that all political parties are one on the issue. I will request that it is passed with the same spirit in the Lok Sabha as it will send a good message," she said.

The bill, which entails exchange of enclaves between the two countries, seeks to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to give effect to an agreement entered into by India and Bangladesh on acquiring and transfer of territories between the two countries on May 16, 1974.Sushma Swaraj said that while the Bangladesh parliament had ratified the 1974 land boundary accord between two countries, the Indian parliament had not done so as demarcation had not been completed on the ground.She said then prime minister Manmohan Singh signed the protocol for transfer of territories during his visit to Bangladesh in 2011.The minister said the Constitution amendment bill was presented in the Rajya Sabha by the then United Progressive Alliance government in 2013 but the Bharatiya Janata Party, Trinamool Congress and Asom Gana Parishad had opposed it at the time.She said that while the AGP and the BJP felt that it overlooked interests of Assam, West Bengal was keen on a package for people who would come to the state as a result of implementation of the agreement.

Sushma Swaraj said as foreign minister she chose Bangladesh as the country for her visit abroad, and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had urged her to move forward with the agreement.She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi told her to work towards removing hurdles in the implementation of the agreement.Sushma Swaraj said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wanted a package from the central government and it had been agreed upon.The minister said she had moved the cabinet to keep Assam out of the implementation of agreement but the Congress was willing to support the bill only if the state was included.Sushma Swaraj said she again moved the cabinet and the bill with the inclusion of Assam was brought to parliament.The bill to operationalise the agreement with Bangladesh includes exchange of territories in Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya, and was cleared by the union cabinet at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday.The First Schedule defines the area of each state and union territory which together constitute India.