WB Assembly Moves Resolution on India-Bhutan Joint River Commission; State Seeks Centre's Attention

Bengal MLAs discussed a resolution on forming an India-Bhutan Joint River Commission to prevent recurring floods in Terai-Dooars area. The opposition BJP lashed out terming it to be an 'international matter beyond state jurisdiction'.

Kolkata/Jalpaiguri: West Bengal Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobhondeb Chattopadhyay moved a resolution on India-Bhutan Joint River Commission in the West Bengal state assembly on Friday, July 26, to control and prevent flood in North Bengal.

Chattopadhyay tabled the proposal and urged the Centre to take up with the Himalayan kingdom for the formation of such a joint river commission. If passed, the resolution would be sent to the Union government for consideration.

Minister of Water Resources Investigation and Development Manas Bhuniya said the Indo-Bhutan Joint River Commission should be formed immediately and requested the opposition BJP to let go of political differences and clashes to 'protect the interests of West Bengal'.

The primary and sole purpose of the resolution is to alert the Narendra Modi government about the formation of the Indo-Bhutan River Commission to protect Bengal's recurring floods in Terai-Dooars area.

"Most of the rivers passing through north Bengal originate in Bhutan. Every year, north Bengal faces the fury of nature as the rivers, swollen after heavy rain in the hills, flood downstream areas causing irreparable damage. What is wrong if the state assembly adopts a resolution to ask Centre for taking up the issue with Bhutan. We are trying to save north Bengal, we need your support," Bhuniya said.

The Commission will be modelled on the existing Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Nepal Commissions, Bhuniya added. Earlier, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had outlined serious concerns about the catastrophic flood in North Bengal.

“There are so many natural disasters in the state-flood and cyclones. All other states have been given funds for flood management but only Bengal has not been given anything. Bengal has been deprived from every front. We will meet at the political platform,” the CM had said.

BJP's Shankar Ghosh lashed out saying the move to pass such a resolution on forming an Indo-Bhutan River Commission did not comply with the spirit of federalism. Such a commission will involve representatives of two countries and West Bengal is a state of the Indian union. It is an international matter beyond state jurisdiction,' he remarked.

"When a neighbouring state like Sikkim is involved, how come the West Bengal Assembly drafts a resolution on its own? Has Sikkim been consulted? Any proposal about an Indo-Bhutan River Commission cannot be made by the state assembly as it is a bilateral issue. The assembly is overstepping its limits," he added.