TMC to 'whole-heartedly' support bill to operationalise LBA with Bangladesh

The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday said that it would 'whole-heartedly' support the government in the Constitutional Amendment Bill which will allow the operationalisation of the 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement.

"The TMC was opposed to this bill in UPA II. In principle we wanted this exchange but a very important part was the rehabilitation package in that area. That rehabilitation package was accepted so this is good news for the people of West Bengal, India and Bangladesh," TMC leader Derek O'Brien told ANI.

Since the government has accepted this, we have been on board. The Congress objected, saying that it wanted Assam also included in it. Once the bill is brought, we will give it the whole-hearted support," he added.

Earlier in the day, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared the Bill to operationalise the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh. It now includes territories in Assam along with those in West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.