Teesta Water sharing starts after submission of the Expert Committee report

Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said her government was ready to share Teesta river waters with neighbouring Bangladesh, but the process would start only after the submission of the Expert Committee report.

"I appreciate Bangladesh's long standing demand of sharing Teesta water. We will be happy to share it with our neighbouring country, but we too have some problems," Ms Banerjee told reporters after a meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni at the State Secretariat Writers's Buildings.

"We have already formed a team of river experts under Mr Kalyan Rudra. Let them review the situation and let them submit the report to the government. Let us see how much of water can be shared so that the people of North Bengal do not suffer and at the same time the need of Bangladesh is also fulfilled." Taking a "dig" at some quarters for creating "controversy and confusion" over the Teesta issue, the Chief Minister hoped the matter would be solved to the benefit of both Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Ms Moni said she had discussed various issues, including that of Teesta water pact, with Ms Banerjee during their nearly 50-minute talk.

Ms Moni had also invited Ms Banerjee to visit Bangladesh.

Earlier, Ms Banerjee was supposed to accompany Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his two-day visit to Bangladesh, but later opted out citing reason that this treaty would have a cascading impact on North Bengal.

--UNI