Guwahati: Government of India has approved setting up 42 additional Border Out Posts (BOPs) along the
India-China border in Northeast to be manned by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Union Minister for State for Home Khiren Rijiju today informed here that, “Approval has been given for setting up of 37 additional BOPs along the China border in Arunachal Pradesh and five in Sikkim.”
“These BoPs will benefit the local populace in those remote areas who can’t be accessed now because of lack of proper road communication.” “Once these additional BOPs come up, the locals in those areas will benefit from various welfare schemes of the government of India,” he said.
In order to improve the bilateral trade with neighbours through the country’s North East, Government of India is setting up Integrated Check posts in the eight states in the region to give a fillip to the Act East Policy of the Government of India.
Rijiju said at least two such ICPs would be set up along Myanmar border at Kaladan and Kawrpuichhuah in Mizoram, one at Moreh along Myanmar border in Manipur, one at Pansau Pass along Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh, one at Dawki along Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, two in Assam at Dhubri and Karimganj along Bangladesh border, one at North West Assam along the border with Bhutan.
Already one ICP has been set up at Agartala in Tripura to boost trade with Bangladesh.
In addition to these ICPs, Government will also set up border haats in smaller places to facilitate legal and proper trade with neighbours. “Border Trade will form important part of the Act East Policy of the Government of India. We need to develop infrastructure on our side of the borders in the Northeast to match the infrastructure already existing on other side of the frontier, ”Rijiju said.
Meanwhile, in order to increase the inflow of foreign tourists to the enchanting North East India, Government of India has waived the requirement of procuring Protected Area Permit by foreign tourists to visit Nagaland and Manipur.
In case of Arunachal Pradesh PAP norms have been relaxed and now it can be procured by foreign tourist from the state government after arrival in Arunachal.
A mega tourist’s circuit is being set up along Kaziranga-Tezpur-Bhalukpung – Tawang to boost footfall in the region.
Union Minister of State for Youth Welfare and Sports, Sarbananda Sonowal said the NDA government was giving a re-look at the now suspended North East Industrial Investment Promotion Policy to plug loopholes and evolve a new pragmatic policy that would help people to real benefit of investments flowing into the region.
