West Bengal not consulted on water pact with Bangladesh: Trinamool Congress

Trinamool Congress criticizes Centre for not consulting West Bengal on Ganga Water Sharing Treaty renewal with Bangladesh.

The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal on Sunday criticised the Centre for not consulting the State before taking the decision to start negotiations with Bangladesh for the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Sharing Treaty.

The criticism by the Trinamool comes a day after talks were held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina on a range of issues including the treaty.

The Trinamool’s Parliamentary Party Leader in the Rajya Sabha, Derek O’Brien, said the State is a party to the treaty, but was not consulted.

The Farakka-Ganga treaty is being renewed without consulting West Bengal, he said. “The State is a party to the treaty. Even our dues for the previous treaty have not been cleared,” Mr. O’Brien told reporters here. “Dredging of the Ganga has been stopped. It is the primary reason for floods and erosion. This is a plan to sell off Bengal,” he alleged.

Prime Minister Modi on Saturday announced India and Bangladesh will begin technical-level talks for the renewal of the 1996 Ganga water treaty, and an Indian technical team will visit Bangladesh soon for the conservation and management of the Teesta river.

An India-Bangladesh Shared Vision document, released after Mr. Modi and Ms. Hasina held delegation-level talks during the latter’s visit to New Delhi, said both sides welcome the formation of a joint technical committee to initiate discussions for renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty of 1996.