16 April 2017, Sun, 12:10

Politics unwanted over Teesta issue

India's Water Resources and River Development Minister Uma Bharti said the federal government has a positive stand on the issue of Tessta river water-sharing with Bangladesh and it will take the right decision considering all aspects.

"We don't want any politics on Teesta water issue. All aspects of it are being examined carefully," Bharti said before attending a meeting of her party BJP in Howrah, near Kolkata, on Friday evening.

Asked about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's opposition about the Teesta agreement, Bharti said, "She (Mamata) is hardly happy on any issue."

"Several questions have been raised on the issue both in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Things will be resolved through discussion with the state government," she said.

The Teesta issue had come up in the discussion between Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in the presence of Mamata on April 8 during Hasina's recent visit to India. However, the West Bengal Chief Minister reiterated her opposition to the proposed treaty.

But Modi assured Hasina that his government can and will find a solution to the issue.

The Modi government has decided to send this month a team of hydrologists to West Bengal's next door neighbour Sikkim, where Teesta originates, to survey eight dams built upstream of Teesta to ascertain availability of water in the lean season.

The team is being sent in the wake of Mamata's complaint that the West Bengal part of Teesta is not getting adequate water due to withdrawal of water in Sikkim and so there is not much water in the river to be shared with downstream Bangladesh. 

Bharti said BJP is now eyeing power in West Bengal. "Earlier we used to win hardly any seat in the states like Assam and Haryana. But now, we have formed governments in these states. We are confident about forming government in West Bengal too in future with a clear majority," she said.

Criticising the law and order situation in West Bengal, Bharti alleged "a reign of terror has been unleashed in Bengal and our party workers are being targeted. I have asked them to fight against these odds as the time is now ripe to fight for a change in power."