This news was published in Assam Tribune on 05/17/06. This is how India take care of her states.

NE states are getting a pipeline just because Bangladesh has refused some Indian demands. It seems for Delhi Bangladesh'sdevelopment is more important than its own NE region


Guwahati, Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Gas pipeline through NE likely NEW DELHI, May 16 – With Dhaka putting pre-conditions for allowing passage of a gas pipeline for import of gas from Myanmar, India plans to bypass Bangladesh altogether and instead lay a line through north-eastern states. “No progress has been achieved (in getting Dhaka’s nod for the Myanmar-Bangladesh-India pipeline) as Bangladsh wants the inclusion of certain bilateral issues in the trilateral MoU, which is not acceptable to India,” Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dinsha Patel said today. Dhaka, among other things, is demanding correction of the trade balance between India and Bangladesh. “In view of the above, India is pursuing the option of a gas pipeline from Myanmar through the north-eastern states of India bypassing Bangladesh,” he said in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha here. Recently, state-run gas utility GAIL got a feasibility report of the project prepared, he said, adding that discussions with the Myanmar side on the project are continuing. India wants to import the gas found in offshore A-1 Block and potential volumes in block A-3 (ONGC Videsh Ltd and GAIL together hold 30 per cent stake in the two blocks) through an onland pipeline. The route being pursued is linking the Kaladan river in Myanmar to Mizoram. On Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, Patel said second secretary-level trilateral meeting was scheduled to be held on May 22-24 at Islamabad. “Various project related issues including those relating to the project structure, framework agreement and pricing are being discussed in these meetings.”Patel said that the Steering Committee of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) pipeline has invited India to become a partner in the project. “The Steering Committee has invited India to become an official member of the project. The matter is under examination for taking a view,” he said. An Indian delegation led by the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas visited Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on February 14-15 to participate in the 9th Steering Committee meeting of TAP project as an observer. – PTI