‘Boundary dispute with Bangladesh to be resolved soon’
From Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The long pending boundary dispute with Bangladesh will be resolved soon.
Addressing the joint session of the Parliament to mark the beginning of the Budget Session on Monday, President Pratibha Patil said the dispute over the recent boundary agreement with Bangladesh, which paves the way for resolution of long-pending issues and a mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation, will be settled soon.
“India has pursued a policy of promoting peace and cooperation in our immediate neighbourhood and beyond to enable us to achieve our goals of socio-economic development and national security,” she said.
The mention of the ‘Protocol on the Land Boundary Agreement’ in the President’s speech is significant as the government is expected to seek ratification of the deal before its implementation in the current session of Parliament. The Union Cabinet has already passed the same.
The protocol was signed under the Land Boundary Agreement of 1974 during Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in September last year.
The agreement included most controversial Pyrdiwa/Padua,Muktapur/Dibiri Hawor, Lyngkhat, Lobachera and Naljuri and Dawki/Tambil areas.
“My government remains firmly committed to the success of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). We wish to see all nations in South Asia prosper, enjoy stability and realise their true potential through the broadening of regional economic cooperation, trade and infrastructure development,” she said.
Noting that the government has always been willing to enter into dialogue with any group willing to abjure the path of violence, Patil said the security situation in the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir had shown considerable improvement over the past one year.
“My Government has shown that acts of violence can be contained with a firm but humane approach. The security situation in the North Eastern States and Jammu & Kashmir has shown considerable improvement during the last year.
On steps to improve the situation in the North-East states, she said, “In deference to the long cherished wishes of the people of the region, my Government signed a tripartite agreement for setting up of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration. Another tripartite Memorandum of Settlement has been signed with United People’s Democratic Solidarity in Assam.
“A non-lapsable Central pool of resources has been created to cover the gaps in funding requirements of central Government projects in the North-East,” she said.