The Farakka agreement, signed in 1977, expires on November 4 and both sides agreed to have an interim arrangement for the continued flow of water while they try to thrash out a final settlement. Most of the controversial issues nagging India and Bangladesh, including the sharing of Ganga waters at Farakka and the augmentation of its flow, have been sorted out. Announcing this at a news conference, spokesmen of the two countries said formal agreements on the lease of Tin Bigha to Bangladesh and the establishment of a joint economic commission would be signed on October 6 . The Farakka agreement, signed in 1977, expires on November 4 and both sides agreed to have an interim arrangement for the continued flow of water while they try to thrash out a final settlement.
Talks with Akalis
The central government is in favour of the agitating Sikh leaders coming to New Delhi for talks on their demands, provided they suspend their agitation for some time. Home Minister P C Sethi, while announcing this, repeatedly made it clear that demands like those for a separate Sikh nation which will lead to disintegration of the country, would not be accepted.
SC on Bihar CM case
The Supreme Court judges hearing the Jagannath Mishra case examined the order allegedly forged by the Bihar Chief Minister and all three of them agreed that there was over-writing on the document. A new
order had been pasted on the old one and the date had been changed, they said. The Bihar government’s defence is that overpasting is a common practice in the Patna Secretariat.
Dacca is Dhaka
The English spelling of the Bangladesh capital will change from Dacca to Dhaka with immediate effect to bring it closer to the way it sounds in Bengali, the country’s military authorities said.