SHILLONG: With the intention of bettering the economic activities of the people residing along the border, Meghalaya’s new Chief Secretary, P.B.O. Warjri, has informed that the governments of India and Bangladesh have recently approved the proposal of opening four more border haats in Meghalaya along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
“Besides the border haats which are in operation for the past three years, four more border haats will soon come up in Meghalaya,” Warjri told newsmen on Wednesday.
He informed that the agreement for setting of more four border haats was arrived at during a meeting of top officials of the Union Ministries of Commerce and External Affairs of the two neighbouring countries held in Dhaka recently.
According to Warjri, two of the borders haats will come up in Bholaganj and Ryngku in East Khasi Hills District, a third is being proposed in Sibbari in South Garo Hills District and a fourth one in Nolikat near Ranikor in South West Khasi Hills District.
Two border haats are already in operation in Balat and Kalaichar in East Khasi Hills and South West Garo Hills districts respectively since July 2011.
It is worth mentioning that the Meghalaya Government had proposed setting up of 22 such haats along the border after identifying traditional local markets that existed prior to the 1971 War of Liberation.
Sources informed that the State Commerce and Industries department is in the process of constructing the four haats approved by both countries and is now awaiting funds from the Centre for commencement of civil works on the ground.
“We have sent our proposals to the Union Ministry of Commerce and it is now up to the Government of Bangladesh to decide on the matter,” State Commerce and Industries Director, W. Langstang, said.
The Union Commerce Ministry has been providing Rs. 2-3 crore to develop infrastructure in these border haats. Local forest produce, cottage industry items, small agriculture implements, processed food items, fruit juice and melamine products, among others, have been exempted from Value Added Tax and Customs duties and are listed for trade at these border haats.
