India's West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has said her state government will agree to exchange enclaves with Bangladesh, if there are no problem from the other side, an Indian daily reports.
But, it was not clear what she meant by the "other side".
Mamata made the statement while addressing an administrative meeting in Siliguri on Monday, according to the Hindustan Times.
She said her government had nothing against the proposed move to foster better mobility between people residing in enclaves on both sides of the border.
"We are holding talks on the proposal and have no problem to fostering better exchange among people living in enclaves in our two countries," she said.
Enclaves, known locally as chhit mahals, are small, scattered tracts of land belonging to one country, but surrounded by another.
The Narendra Modi government has already said that it would agree unconditionally to the exchange of enclaves between the two countries.
Banerjee's statement on Monday is being seen as a positive development. The Bengal chief minister had earlier opposed to the exchange move, arguing that while Bengal will get only about 7,000 acres, it will have to concede nearly 17,000 acres.
There is a talk that Bangladesh wanted to retain Dahagram-Angorpota, the biggest Bangladeshi enclave.
India has allowed a 178-metre-long corridor for the people of Dahagram-Angorpota to reach the other side of the border from June 20, 1992.
