Rajya Sabha passed 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on LBA between India and Bangladesh

Rajya Sabha on 6 May 2015 passed 119th Constitutional Amendment Bill on Land Boundary Bill (LBA).

The 119th Constitution Amendment) Bill, 2013 was unanimously passed by the upper house, with 180 votes in favour and zero against it.

The Bill is to operationalise the Land Boundary Agreement with India and Bangladesh, and the exchange of certain enclaves of land between the two countries.

The Bill was earlier passed by the Union Cabinet and now includes territories in Assam along with those in West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya.

Now, the Bill will be introduced in the Lok Sabha and it will then be sent for President's signature. 

As it is the Constitutional Amendment Bill, It would require ratification of at least 50 per cent of the state legislatures before it comes into effect.

The bill’s passage will lead to an amendment in the first schedule of the Constitution and give effect to a May 1974 agreement between India and Bangladesh on acquisition and transfer of territories.

Background

The exchange will see Bangladesh take over 111 enclaves (17160 acres) from India’s possession and India, in turn, receive 51 enclaves (7110 acres) from Bangladesh.

In Assam, India will get 470 acres of land from Bangladesh, while 268 acres will go to Bangladesh. Enclaves are tiny landlocked territories that each country has within the borders of the other nation. The enclaves in Assam, West Bengal, Tripura and Meghalaya come under the bill’s ambit.

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