From Our Correspondent
TURA: In view of the union Parishad elections of Bangladesh slated to take place in that country the scheduled date of inaugurating the border haat at Kalaichar in West Garo Hills has been deferred from June 23 to July 4.
Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, during the foundation laying ceremony for construction of the Ampati-Purakhasia road announced that on July 4 the Indo-Bangla Haat at Kalaichar would open and this is expected to boost the economy of the people living in the border areas.
This decision to change the inaugural date was made following Thursday’s Haat Management Committee meeting of both India and Bangladesh to discuss issues pertaining to the opening of border haat at Kalaichar on the Indian side of the border and Baliamari on Bangladesh side.
The meeting was attended by a 11-member team led by SDO (Civil) of Ampati sub division A Bhagotia who is the chairman of the haat committee from India and a six member delegation from Bangladesh led by Md. Manzarul Manran, additional deputy magistrate of Kurigram district.
It was at the meeting that the visiting delegation informed their inability to have June 23 as the inaugural date on account of the Union Parishad Elections.
On the haat timings it was decided by the Haat Management Committees from the two sides that border haat would function once a week every Wednesday. The haat timings during summer would be from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM IST while in winter the timing would be an hour shorter from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. An alarm would be sounded one hour before the closing time of the haat to ensure adherence to the prescribed timings.
The HMCs of both the countries decided to exchange list of vendors/vendees as well as the list of dignitaries who would attend the inaugural function in their next joint committee meeting. On the day of the inauguration of the Border Haat, it has been decided by the HMCs that both the countries would present their respective National Anthems and cultural programmes.
Both the HMCs have entrusted their local magistrates, namely, the Extra Assistant Commissioner, Ampati Mr. Reuben C. Momin and the Upazila Nirbhai Officer of Kurigram Mr. Mohammad Abdul Quader with the responsibilities of joint maintenance of law & order in the haat premises.
The HMCs of both the countries would request their respective treasury banks, i.e, the State Bank of India and the Sonali Bank Limited to handle the matters relating to foreign currency exchange in the haat. Regarding maintenance of hygiene and sanitation in the haat, one person each from both the countries would be appointed to clean garbage and toilets and these cleaners would be paid by their respective HMCs by charging Rs. 10 / 10 Takas from the vendors. The HMCs would also arrange for dustbins for disposal of garbage.