Tuesday, January 3 2006 19:37 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Siliguri: Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil today (Jan 3, 2006) said India always accorded importance to better relations with Bangladesh and the 'Berubari issue' could be solved on the basis of dialogue between the two neighbours.

Berubari is a disputed area lying between Bangladesh and India in north Bengal and the local people have been demanding a solution to it.

There has been long-standing demand to settle the Berubari issue based on the Indira Gandhi-Mujib-ur Rehman treaty and memoranda on the matter were submitted to him by a local social body during his visit to Berubari during the day.

He also spoke to the local MP Hiten Barman and other local leaders on the issue.

Patil, who is on a three-day visit to north Bengal, earlier visited the Tinbigha corrider by an IAF copter and wasgiven the guard of honour by Bangladesh Rifles. He also attended a reception by Bangladesh Rifles 100 yards inside that country near the Panbari border outpost.

Later he visited the border outpost at Bheem and discussed local issues with Border Security Force (BSF) officials.

He told newsmen that the Centre was keen to undertake socio-economic programmes for the uplift of the people living at the border and would hold talks with the West Bengal Government in this regard soon.

He later inaugurated a 100-bed hospital at Kadamtala, the headquarters of North Bengal frontier of BSF.

Patil is scheduled to return to Delhi tomorrow (Jan 4, 2006).