This story is from November 27, 2014

Parl committee to submit land deal report on Dec 1

The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Sashi Tharoor, is likely to place its report on the Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill on December 1, which seeks to redraw India’s boundary with Bangladesh through a land-swap in four states
Parl committee to submit land deal report on Dec 1
Guwahati: The Department Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, headed by Sashi Tharoor, is likely to place its report on the Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill on December 1, which seeks to redraw India’s boundary with Bangladesh through a land-swap in four states.
A source said, “A slot has been sought from Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to submit the report on December 1.”
The states that are proposed to have a new boundary are West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Member of the committee and AIUDF MP from the state Sirajuddin Ajmal said he had walked out of the meeting of the committee in protest against reorganization of the boundary in which Assam stands to lose land.
“I have staged my protest in the last meeting I attended. Why should I support a bill where my country does not gain anything and will have to give away part of its land to Bangladesh? I am also submitting my and my party’s protest in writing to external affairs minister Sushma Sawraj,” Ajmal told TOI.
The bill proposes to amend the First Schedule of the Constitution for the purpose of giving effect to the acquiring of territories by India and transfer of territories to Bangladesh through retaining of adverse possession and exchange of enclaves, in pursuance of the Indira-Mujib Land Border Agreement (LBA) of 1974 and its Protocol entered between the Governments of India and Bangladesh.

The First Schedule of the Constitution defines the area of each state and Union Territory, which together constitute India.
The bill was introduced by the UPA-II government last year amid strong protests from members of Asom Gana Parishad and Trinamool Congress. The passage of the bill was stalled in the Rajya Sabha after AGP MP from the state, Birendra Kumar Baishya, snatched copies of the proposed legislation from the then external affairs minister Salman Khurshid. Following this, the bill was referred to the standing committee.
The bill proposes that India will exchange 111 enclaves, measuring 17,160 acres, to Bangladesh and receive 51 enclaves, covering 7,110 acres, in West Bengal, besides transferring land in territories of Assam at Kalabari (Boroibari) in Dhubri district and the Pallathal area in Karimganj district.
The land-swap deal also includes land in Meghlaya and Tripura which have been in adverse possession of Bangladesh.
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