Gogoi flays AGP-BJP stand on Bangla land pact

Guwahati: Even as the opposition BJP and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) gearing up to stymie the ratification of India-Bangladesh land deal in the winter session of the Parliament once again, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi have accused the opposition parties of launching a misinformation campaign over the deal just to derive political mileage before the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The India-Bangladesh land transfer agreement was signed by the two countries at the highest level during the last visit of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to Dhaka in September 2011.
Gogoi stated that instead on ensuring a smooth passage of land ratification bill with Bangladesh in the parliament the opposition political parties were creating a ruckus over the pact with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections.
“The AGP and the BJP are merely opposing the land transfer agreement for opposition’s sake just to mislead the people. It’s nothing but a political hogwash. Tthey haven’t cared to study hard facts about the pact ” he added.
Gogoi said the land transfer agreement would pave the way for a sizeable chunk of land under adverse possession of Bangladesh to Assam.
“Of the total 665 acres under adverse possession of Bangladesh, Assam will regain 397.5 acres while Bangladesh will get possession of 267.5 acres.
It’s all hogwash and a misinformation campaign by the AGP and BJP ,” he said.
The Chief Minister further said the land swap agreement would ensure demarcation and erection of fencing in the unfenced 2.86 km stretch in Lathitilla-Dumabari sector along the Indo-Bangla border.  “The land swap agreement would help to solve the long pending boundary issues with Bangladesh once and for all and that will pave the way for increased volume of bi-lateral trade between the two countries across the frontier,” Gogoi said.