Trinamool to move motion in Assembly seeking discussion on river treaties with Bangladesh

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress will move a motion in the Assembly seeking discussion on the river treaties with Bangladesh.

“Since the Union government is going ahead with the important decision regarding crucial treaties about water sharing without consulting the state government, we have to object to such an approach of the Centre,” a senior member of the state cabinet said.

He said that moving a motion on this issue on the floor of the house and initiating a detailed discussion on the matter is the best way forward.

The Business Advisory Committee meeting of the Assembly is scheduled for August 2, where a decision is likely to be taken on which date of the ongoing monsoon session of the Assembly the proposed motion will be moved.

On June 24, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee forwarded a communiqué to the Prime Minister requesting the latter not to take important bilateral decisions with neighbouring Bangladesh especially on the Teesta River water sharing and Indo-Bangladesh Farakka treaties without discussing and involving the state government.

In the letter, the Chief Minister referred to the recent visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India and her meeting with Modi.

“It seems that water-sharing issues relating to the Ganges and Teesta Rivers have been discussed during the meeting. Such unilateral deliberations and discussions without consultations and opinion of the state government are neither acceptable nor desirable,” the letter from the Chief Minister to the Prime Minister read.

Earlier, this month, the Chief Minister said that the renewal of the Indo-Bangladesh Farakka Treaty (1996) which is set to expire in 2026, will not only impact West Bengal but also the neighbouring state of Bihar.