No Terms To Be Set For River Water Pact With Bangla

It is the Bangladesh polity to decide what is in (Bangladesh's) best interest, Foreign Minister I K Gujral said before leaving at the end of a four-day visit to Bangladesh.

There is no demand for transit from New Delhi government... I have not even discussed the transit issue with leaders here, he said.

Sharing of water, especially from the Ganges, has been a major irritant between the two South Asian neighbours.

Dhaka says India's Farakka barrage, 18 km from Bangladesh's northern border, obstructs the flow of the Ganges and deprives this country of its fair share of water.

Officials say more than 40 million people in northwestern Bangladesh have faced desertification of their land since the Farakka was commissioned in 1974.

 

New Delhi earlier proposed a land transport route through Bangladesh to serve India's isolated northeastern states.

Bangladesh virtually cuts off these states from the rest of India, with goods having to travel a much longer route through Assam to reach other parts of the subcontinent.

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and some fringe groups have opposed the transit route.

Gujral said he had fruitful discussions on water sharing with Bangladeshi leaders. He said experts from both countries would meet almost immediately to sort out details for reaching an agreement.

Asked how close an agreement was, Gujral said, As close as two hearts can be. During official talks on Saturday, Bangladesh insisted on reaching an agreement on sharing the flow of the Ganges river by December.

The latest water sharing agreement between Dhaka and New Delhi expired in 1988 and attempts to renew it have failed.

UNI adds: Gujral said India is ready to sign an agreement with Bangladesh on the water sharing before the next dry season.

I'm going back with an impression that from now on a new chapter in our relationship is open, he said.

About the volume of water to be given to Bangladesh during the dry season beginning January next, he said experts would examine Bangladesh's exact requirement of water, its availability and the actual ground situation during the lean period.

Gujral said all major issues which concern Bangladesh including water, trade and commerce and other subsidiary issues came up for discussion during talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other government and opposition leaders.

He refrained from making any comments on issues between India and Pakistan.

Asked about India's candidature for permanent membership in the UN Security Council and support from Bangladesh, he said India is very serious about the candidature and has indeed sought support from Bangladesh.

He however declined to elaborate further.

About the role of Saarc, Gujral said time has now come that Saarc must do something immediately to improve the prevailing South Asian Economic situation.

Regarding Hasina's proposed visit to China, Gujral said she is the Premier of a sovereign country and she has every right to visit any country she chooses.

Our relationship with China is improving a great deal and we look at both of them (Bangladesh and China) as friendly countries.

The press conference was attended by Indian foreign secretary Salman Haider, CPI (M) MP Somnath Chatterjee, Forward Bloc MP Chitta Basu and CPI MP MS Geeta Mukherjee.