Tripura calls for further survey for enclave exchange

AGARTALA: Tripura government has called for further survey as per the protocol signed by India and Bangladesh in 2011 for exchange of enclaves before any transfer of the enclave in Muhurichar, a minister said today.

State Revenue Minister Badal Chowdhury wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the last week of August. The copy of the letter was today made available to media.

"As per the provision of the protocol 2011 signed on 6-09-2011, the boundary in Muhurichar upstream area is to be drawn along the mainstream of the existing Muhuri river from boundary pillar no 2159/48-S to 2159/3-S. The protocol also provides for raising embankment by the two governments on the respective sides with a view to stabilising the river in its present course," Chowdhury wrote to Swaraj.

Chowdhury said the representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the sixth meeting of the Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG) held on July 23-24 last in Dhaka reaffirmed the state's stand to draw the boundary in Muhuri river in Belonia in South Tripura district in line with the protocol 2011 to the India Bangladesh Land Boundary agreement (LBA) 1974.

"As such, the issue could not be resolved at JBWG level and it was decided to refer this matter to the respective governments for decision," he wrote.

Chowdhury alleged that the index map for this sector prepared by the Survey of India and their Bangladeshi counterpart was not in accordance with the protocol 2011.

The ground relaying done by the Survey of India team in January 2014, without involving the state government and local district administration, resulted in upstream land crossing the Muhuri river in the Indian territory being marked as of Bangladesh, he said.

The issue raised serious concerns about the law and order situation in the area, he said, and asked for her intervention in the matter.

For about five decades since 1965 India and Pakistan and later Bangladesh had differences over enclave, known as Muhurirchar in Tripura's southern part, which still remained unsettled even as India gave away to Bangladesh 110 of the 111 enclaves and in return received 51 enclaves.

In a separate letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on August 29 last, Chowdhury had demanded setting up of four BSF border outposts (BOPs) in the area for proper guarding of the border and maintain safety.

"Since the protocol mandated boundary line will be passing very close to the main Belonia town, these BSF BOPs will go a long way in establishing peace in this area by avoiding public confrontation between two sides at the border," he added.