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Parliament clears a historic bill on land swap with Bangladesh

by IBNS 08 May 2015, 10:31 am

New Delhi, May 8 (IBNS) As Parliament on Thursday passed the constitutional amendment bill to clear a historic land agreement with Bangladesh and resolve a long standing border problem, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Bangladesh counterpart Seikh Hasina and conveyed his greetings to her.

Modi also personally thanked Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in the Lok Sabha.

In a series of tweets, Modi said the bill would contribute to a stable and peaceful boundary.

"Spoke to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and conveyed my greetings to the people of Bangladesh on this landmark occasion," a tweets on the handle @narendramodi read.

"This would contribute to a stable & peaceful boundary, better management & coordination of the border & will lead to enhanced security as well. The Amendment passed ensures a permanent settlement of land boundary with Bangladesh & resolution of long-pending boundary issues."

He said the passage of the Constitution (One Hundred and Nineteenth Amendment) Bill, 2013 was a "historic milestone" in India-Bangladesh relations. He also thanked the various political parties for supporting its passage.

"My thanks to all the political parties for their cooperation, as also to the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura & West Bengal. This reflects the collective will of the nation to build constructive relations with our neighbors."

The bill was unanimously passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, while the Lok Sabha gave its  nod to the legislation on Thursday.

Under the arrangement, enclaves will be exchanged  between the two countries, giving effect to an agreement reached between India and Bangladesh on May 16, 1974 on acquiring and transfer of territories.

Nearly 160 enclaves exist scattering about on either side of the border even after the partition in 1947. The oddly distributed enclaves caused decades hardship and sufferings for the inhabitants in most cases surrounded by the land of a foreign country. 

There are 51 Bangladeshi enclaves with about 15,000 people within states like Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal.