Kolkata, Feb. 19 -- Speaker of Bengal legislative Assembly, Biman Banerjee on Wednesday asked BJP MLA Sankar Ghosh to be proactive about their agreement in sending a joint delegation from the Assembly to the Centre to press for the constitution of India-Bhutan River Commission.
A resolution regarding forming such a commission to check floods in North Bengal districts was passed in the Assembly in July, last year. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had proposed sending a delegation from the Assembly and the Opposition BJP consented to the same.
The Speaker flagged off the issue during the question answer session on Wednesday when MLA Suman Kanjilal raised a related question to state Irrigation and Waterways minister Manas Bhunia.
Ghosh alleged that the person who was supposed to take a stand on this (Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari) has been illegally suspended from the ongoing session. The Speaker said that the suspension issue should not go in the House proceedings. He added that if there is a polite prayer, through proper procedure, for withdrawal of suspension he might consider. Parliamentary Affairs minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay was given the main responsibility to take a delegation to Delhi. He said: "He (Sankar Ghosh) intentionally tried to dodge the main issue and instead raked up the suspension issue.
People of Bengal can see that your non-cooperation is jeopardising the plan to send a delegation. I have wanted to know time and again from you about the matter but you didn't respond."
Bhunia said: "It is true that there is an India-Bangladesh River Commission and India-Nepal River Commission but the Centre hasn't formed India-Bhutan River Commission. There are as many as 76 rivers of Bhutan that flow through North Bengal.
Flash floods, erosion are occurring and dolomites are rolling down the hills to the plains at great speed. The situation is becoming dangerous..."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.