Monday, March 21 2005 15:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India today (Mar 21, 2005) expressed hope that differences with Pakistan over the 450 mw Baglihar hydroelectric project in Jammu and Kashmir would be sorted out "bilaterally" instead of World Bank arbitration.

"We are hoping against hope that the issue will be sorted out bilaterally if a congenial atmosphere is built," Union Water Resources Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi told reporters in New Delhi when asked about India's recent plea to World Bank not to appoint a neutral expert as sought by Pakistan.

When asked about the differences on the Kishanganga project, he said, "We hope to resolve all pending issues bilaterally."

New Delhi had recently urged the World Bank to refrain from appointing a neutral expert as sought by Islamabad to resolve the differences between the two countries on the project over river Chenab, and to leave the parties to settle the remaining issues through mutual cooperative discussions.

Islamabad has been expressing that the project design violated certain provisions of the Indus Water Treaty 1960.

Dasmunsi also informed that an Indian team, which recently visited China also found as "incorrect" reports that Beijing was building a dam on river Brahmaputra.