TMC ready to work with government on Teesta pact? Photo: Facebook
In a significant development in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy for cooperative federalism, one of the Modi Sarkar’s leading critics, the Trinamul Congress, is now willing to work with the Centre over the contentious issues of the sharing of Teesta waters and land boundary pact with Bangladesh.
“The previous UPA government had mishandled the two issues (Teesta water-sharing and land boundary pact with Bangladesh). We will be flexible in our stand if the Modi government takes us in confidence in working out details of the two contentious issues,” senior TMC leader Sultan Ahmed told this newspaper.
It may be recalled that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had tried hard to seal the two pacts to put Indo-Bangladesh ties on a firm footing, but had failed to do so mainly due to the objections raised by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“The ball is in the Centre’s court. Let the Centre start playing the ball first,” said Mr Ahmed, when asked how flexible would his party be on these issues. The TMC seems to have put the acrimonious election campaign behind in which party leaders had even called Mr Modi a “butcher”. “Have you heard any acerbic comment on Mr Modi and the NDA government from us after the Lok Sabha verdict came? The elections are over, and we can now work contructively,” Mr Ahmed added. On Wednesday, putting aside differences and the animosity seen in the campaign, the Prime Minister had extended an oilve branch as he referred to the TMC supremo as “Mamata behen” and praised her work in West Bengal while speaking in the Lok Sabha. “The NDA government wants to give a new direction to the economy and policies. Let’s hope for the better. We want Mr Modi to give topmost priority to the security of minorities,” said Mr Ahmed.
While this may seem a positive step towards a federal polity, some feel the finance ministry’s orders to virtually bypass the Planning Commission in firming up budgetary proposals could possibly leave states high and dry, as they would not have any alternative window at the Centre to discuss their annual plan allocations any longer.
Sources in the government said the finance ministry may not be able to negotiate and discuss the states’ Plan proposals on its own. “Historically this job has been done by the Planning Commission, which has a full-fledged states division.