Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today strongly criticised the Centre for keeping the state in dark while deciding to exclude it by bringing in an amendment to the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA).
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gogoi expressed surprise at the decision of the Union government not to include clauses relating to Assam in the protocol ratified by Parliament without any consultation with the state government.
"We are completely in the dark about the reasons behind this turnaround and how the interest of the people of Assam are going to be protected by the exclusion of the clauses relating to Assam during the process of ratification by the Parliament," the chief minister said.
An official release quoting Gogoi said the decision was also "against the principles of cooperative federalism which you (Modi) have been advocating."
Gogoi requested Modi for inclusion of Assam in the protocol between the Centre and the Government of Bangladesh, signed on September 6, 2011.
The chief minister pointed out that the provisions of the protocol were integral part of the 1974 agreement between India and Bangladesh.
"As a result of the protocol, the Radcliff Line demarcating India-Bangladesh border in the Assam sector namely, Lathitilla-Dumabari sector in Karimganj district, Kalabari (Boroibari) area in Dhubri district and the Pallathal area in Karimganj district of Assam will be re-drawn as agreed to in the protocol," he said.
As a result of the re-demarcation, approximately 714 acres of land in Lathitilla area will formally become part of Assam in India and 193.85 acres of land in Kalabari (Boroibari) and 74.55 acres in Pallathal will formally go to Bangladesh.
"268.40 acres of land are already under adverse possession of Bangladesh. Therefore, India (Assam) will formally get a net land area of 445.6 acres with reference to the Radcliff Line," Gogoi said.
Earlier this week, a senior government functionary in New Delhi had said that since the issue of land swap under LBA with Bangladesh has evoked "emotional reaction" in Assam, the Bill would not include any land pertaining to the state but comprises land from West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.
BJP unit in Assam has opposed the exchange of enclaves between Bangladesh and India involving the territory of Assam.
