Delhi has rejected the allegations made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding the renewal of the agreement on the distribution of Ganges water between Bangladesh and India. The spokesperson of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said that Mamata’s allegations are not true.
He said this in response to questions from reporters at the weekly briefing of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi on Friday.
Recently, Mamata complained that the central government did not consult the state government regarding the renewal of the Ganga Treaty. In the weekly briefing, Randhir Jaiswal said that Mamata’s claim is not consistent with reality.
Regarding the West Bengal Chief Minister’s letter and objections to the central government of India regarding the Ganga water sharing agreement, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs said that the Ganga water sharing agreement signed in 1996 is to be renewed in 2026. An initiative of internal review has been taken for this purpose. An internal committee has been formed for this. All partners including West Bengal have been placed there. The West Bengal government is also regularly participating in the committee meetings.
Jaiswal said that on April 5, representatives of the West Bengal government also participated in the meeting. The West Bengal government has sent a letter to keep water for food and industry in the agreement beyond 2026. The committee has already submitted its final report. The concerned ministry is examining the report.
During the recent visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India, the topic of renewal of the Ganga Treaty came up for discussion. The 30-year contract expires in 2026. It has been decided to form a technical committee between the two countries to consider the renewal of the agreement. After the meeting of the Prime Ministers of the two countries, the announcement was made.
Later, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee complained that she was not contacted in this regard. However, the central government dismissed Mamata’s allegations.
In this regard, Randhir Jaiswal said, on April 6 this year, the West Bengal government also said that even if the agreement expires in 2026, they will still need fresh water and water for industry.
