New Delhi, May 7 (IANS) As the Indian parliament on Thursday passed the constitutional amendment bill relating to the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina and conveyed his greetings to her and the people of her country.
In a series of tweets, Modi said the bill would contribute to a stable and peaceful boundary.
“Spoke to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina and conveyed my greetings to the people of Bangladesh on this landmark occasion,” a tweets on the handle @narendramodi read.
“This would contribute to a stable & peaceful boundary, better management & coordination of the border & will lead to enhanced security as well. The Amendment passed ensures a permanent settlement of land boundary with Bangladesh & resolution of long-pending boundary issues.”
He said the passage of the Constitution (One Hundred and Nineteenth Amendment) Bill, 2013 was a “historic milestone” in India-Bangladesh relations.
He also thanked the various political parties for supporting its passage.
“My thanks to all the political parties for their cooperation, as also to the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura & West Bengal. This reflects the collective will of the nation to build constructive relations with our neighbours.”
The bill was unanimously passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, while the Lok Sabha gave its unanimous nod to the legislation on Thursday.
The bill, which entails exchange of enclaves between the two countries, seeks to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution to give effect to an agreement entered into by India and Bangladesh on acquiring and transfer of territories between the two countries on May 16, 1974.
The bill to operationalise the agreement with Bangladesh includes exchange of territories in Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya, and was cleared by the union cabinet at a meeting chaired by Modi on Tuesday.
The land swap agreement envisages transfer of 111 enclaves with a total area of 17,160.63 acres to Bangladesh, while Dhaka is to transfer 51 enclaves with an area of 7,110.02 acres to India. A 6.1-km undefined border stretch will be demarcated with the bill being passed.