New Delhi, May 7 and India on Monday agreed to constitute a sub-group within the Joint River Commission to look into all issues related to the controversial 1500 MW Tipaimukh Hydro-Electric (Multi-Purpose) Project, which is proposed to come up in northeastern Indian state of Manipur.
India's External Affairs Minister S M Krishna said that Delhi and Dhaka agreed to set up the sub-group within the JRC to look into all aspects of the issue, including Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's proposal for Bangladesh to join the project.
Krishna and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni were addressing a press-conference after co-chairing the first meeting of Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission in New Delhi on Monday.
India and Bangladesh, however, could not make any significant progress in ending the deadlock over the proposed deal for sharing of water of Teesta, although Krishna told Moni that New Delhi was continuing consultations with all stakeholders to evolve a consensus.
"Since water is a sensitive issue, in accordance with the traditions of consensual decision-making in India's democratic polity, internal consultations are on amongst stakeholders," said Krishna, adding that India remained committed to an early solution on the issue of sharing of water of Teesta.
Dipu Moni told journalists that she requested Krishna to ensure early ratification of the 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement, including the additional protocol signed last year, by New Delhi.
She said that Bangladesh also stressed on early signing of the agreement on Teesta.
The Foreign Minister said Krishna assured her that India's proposed river-interlinking project would not include the rivers flowing from the Himalayas and hence would not pose any threat of downstream impact on Bangladesh.
Krishna and Moni reviewed the progress in utilisation of India's $ 1 billion line of credit to Bangladesh. "So far, projects worth more than US $ 810 million have been agreed upon and five contracts worth US $ 83 million have been signed.
"The first consignment of busses has arrived in Dhaka and deliveries of railway rolling stock will start by the end of the year," Krishna said.
India's Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday announced in Dhaka that US $ 200 million of the Line of Credit would be converted into grants-in-aid for projects of priority to Bangladesh.
"Our focus now is to ensure timely delivery on the contracts that have been signed by the Government of Bangladesh," said Krishna.
Moni, who is on a three-day visit to India, would also India's Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday to explore ways to resolve the impasse over the agreement for sharing of water of Teesta.
Krishna last week had a meeting with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in New Delhi. Banerjee's objection forced New Delhi to put off signing of the interim agreement with Bangladesh during Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September 2011.
A team of officials of the Indian Prime Minister's Office is also likely to visit Kolkata soon to discuss the issue with officials of the State Government of West Bengal.
"We are trying to develop a political consensus in India. It is important that views of all those who are dependent on the water are taken into account and burden is shared equitably. Meanwhile, there is no change in ground situation, the waters are flowing," the Indian External Affairs Minister told the news conference.
Foreign minister Moni will also have a meeting with Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday. They are likely to discuss the progress in negotiations on the bilateral extradition treaty.
Sources said that a delegation of Bangladesh's home ministry would visit New Delhi shortly to continue discussion on the proposed extradition treaty.
The Bangladesh Foreign Minister will also call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday.
The Joint Consultative Commission that Krishna and Moni co-chaired on Monday was constituted in accordance with Bangladesh-India Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Development, which was signed during Singh's 2011visit to Dhaka.
The two foreign ministers reviewed bilateral cooperation in the power sector and noted that the work on power inter-grid connectivity was progressing. They expressed hope that 500 MW power would flow from India to Bangladesh during the summer of 2013.
"We are also moving ahead with the setting up of 1320 MW coal based joint venture power plant which is expected to be commissioned by 2016. We welcome the participation of Bangladesh in power projects in India, particularly in the North-Eastern states of India," said Krishna.
He added that India's decision in 2011 to grant zero duty access to all goods from Bangladesh opened new opportunities for expansion of bilateral trade. "I understand that there has been a significant increase of textile exports from Bangladesh to India."
Moni will also represent Dhaka in the concluding ceremony of Bangladesh-India joint celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore in New Delhi later on Monday.
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