Even as the Centre is yet to implement some of the bilateral initiatives with Bangladesh like the Teesta Water Treaty and the land boundary agreement, the sub-group on the Tipaimukh hydroelectric project held its inaugural meeting here on Monday.
The two-day meeting of the sub-group under the Joint Rivers Commission got underway as part of the efforts to reach an agreement on the terms of reference for a joint study of the Dam’s impact.
The decision to set up a sub-group was taken during Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni visit to Delhi in May.
Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had assured Dhaka that New Delhi would not take any steps with regard to Tipaimukh which would adversely impact Bangladesh.
The Tipaimukh hydropower project in Manipur is an emotive political issue in Bangladesh, where there are concerns that it will lead to the drying up of River Barak downstream. It had flared up again in November, when the local media raised an alarm over the formation of a joint venture company for executing the project.