Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress is the second largest constituent of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Sunday cancelled her trip to Dhaka with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in protest against the final draft of the Teesta water sharing agreement.

"No, she is not going," said a senior state government official here.

Banerjee's unhappiness stemmed from the amount of water sharing of the river Teesta mentioned in the final draft of the agreement which is slated to be signed during the prime minister's two-day trip to the Bangladesh capital beginning Tuesday.

"There was difference between the initial draft of the agreement and the final version. The state government had agreed on sharing of upto 25,000 cusecs. But the final version talks of sharing 33,000-50,000 cusecs," said a source close to Banerjee.

"She feels this will hurt West Bengal's interests," the source said.

Banerjee's decision to opt out of the trip has been conveyed to the Prime Minister's Office by Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh, the official said.

The Trinamool has 19 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

The Trinamool and the Congress also run a coalition government in West Bengal.

 

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