From Our Correspondent
AGARTALA: Tripura government is contemplating to establish a separate Cargo Station near Akhaura Check Post to ensure hassle-free bilateral trade.
The trade volume at Akhaura Check Post, one of the most modernized Land Customs Stations (LCS) in the entire Northeast has been increased from Rs. 4 crore in 1996 to Rs. 256 crore during 2010-11 financial year and this will go up further after introduction of the much awaited transshipment facility of Indian consignments through Bangladesh soil.
It is estimated that the trade volume would touch Rs. 500 crore during the 2011-12 financial year as Indian goods have started coming through Bangladesh territory by way of transshipment access though it is still on experimental basis.
With business activity at Akhaura Check Post gaining steam, exporters and importers have been facing problems due to shortage of space. Keeping in mind the problems, the government has initiate a process to establish a separate Cargo Station near Akhaura Check Post. To make it possible, Industries and Commerce Minister Jitendra Chowdhury along with high officials of Industries and Commerce department on Thursday visited Akhaura Check Post. Sources said, Chowdhury also visited two sites for setting up Cargo Station.
“If everything goes right, this will come up either at Shanmura or Kalikapur, only a km from the Akhaura LCS”, said an official of the department.
Later talking to reporters, Chowdhury said that the state government could not set up Cargo Station without prior approval from the Central government as well as Bangladesh government. “After selection of land for the Cargo Station, the state government will take up the issue with the Centre.
We do hope the Centre will give positive response”, he said.
It is worthy to mentioned, exporters and importers have been demanding for the same long time after upward trend in bilateral trade between both sides.