Rajya Sabha on Wednesday unanimously passed a historic bill to operationalise the Land Boundary Agreement with Bangladesh that provides for exchange of territories to settle the 41-year border issue. The Constitution (119th) Amendment Bill, which will allow the operationalisation of the 1974 India-Bangladesh Land Boundary agreement, was passed with full support from 181 members. The bill will be taken up by Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Sealing porous borders

In a letter to Prime Minister Modi, Assam CM Tarun Gogoi had urged him to put aside differences and include Assam in the treaty. He cited advantages to adding Assam to the agreements, such as construction of a border fence which will deter the infiltration of illegal migrants, drug smuggling and subversive elements.

According to the agreement, India is to receive 2,777.038 acres of land and is required to transfer 2267.682 acres to Bangladesh, much of which has already been effected on the ground already.

Timeline

1974 - May 16 : Indian-Bangladesh Agreement inked not ratified

India has 11 enclaves within Bangladesh (70 square km)

Bangladesh has 51 enclaves in India (28 square km)

Most enclaves are in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalya, Tripura

2011 - September 6: Bangladesh and India to sign protocol pact

2013 - December 18: The Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, introduced in Rajya Sabha

Bill amends the First Schedule of the Constitution that defines the area of each State, Union Territory

2015 - April 29: Cabinet clears the revised land boundary agreement delinking Assam.

Centre likely to introduce revised Bill in Parliament next week

May 6: Rajya Sabha unanimously passes Bill.