In what could be a setback for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Bangladesh visit on September 6-7, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has declined to accompany him to Dhaka as she is upset with the Teesta water sharing treaty that the two countries will sign. Banerjee feels that the agreement will be against the interests of West Bengal. She has reportedly objected to the fact that according to the draft and the final versions of the Teesta treaty, there was a difference in the quantity of water to be shared between the two countries and more share was being allotted to Bangladesh than she had agreed upon. Agitations against the deal have already started in some north Bengal districts . As most border and water related disputes, which India and Bangladesh are trying to resolve, impact West Bengal directly, it is important that the state’s CM is taken into confidence while sealing a deal with Dhaka. Earlier, Banerjee had objected to the fact that the Centre went ahead with treaties with Bangladesh without consulting her. At a CCPA meeting last week, railway minister Dinesh Trivedi raised the issue, after which national security adviser Shiv Shankar Menon updated Banerjee on the treaties. She was supposed to join the PM on his Dhaka trip that is expected to resolve pending grievances.
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