Tripura to have second border haat with B’desh

Agartala: After setting up a border ‘haat’ (market) near the Indo-Bangla international border at Srinagar in South Tripura district, another such market is coming up at Kamalasagar in Sipahijala district, to boost bilateral trade, official sources said on Thursday.
“An Indian delegation led by Additional District Magistrate of Sipahijala, D K Chakma and his counter part of Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh, Nazma Begum met at Kamalasagar yesterday and selected the site for the border haat”, Senior Manager of Tripura Industrial Development Corporation (TIDC), Shyamal Dev said.
He said, a border haat was constructed at Srinagar this year which would be officially inaugurated after getting permission from the Ministries of Commerce of India and Bangladesh. Altogether four border haats would be constructed in Tripura, Dev told PTI adding, the two others are at Kamalpur in Dhalai district and Dharmanagar in North Tripura district.
These markets are set up at the zero line of the international border with one part on the Indian side and the other in Bangladesh.
The cost of construction of the Kamalasagar haat, 28 km from here, on 150 X150 sq meters spread over two sides of the border would be Rs 2.44 crore which would be borne by the Indian Ministry of Commerce.
The first border haat was set up in 2012 at Kalaichar in West Garo hills of Meghalaya.
Business in the market (haat) would take place once a week among the people living within 5 km radius of the border who would sell and buy locally produced goods and crops.
No local taxes would be imposed on the items to be sold in the haats and currencies of both the countries would prevail.
Initially 16 items were short listed which include agricultural and horticultural crops, spices, minor forest products excluding timber, fish and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items etc. (PTI)