KHLIEHRIAT: The East Jaintia Hills district administration has laid down standard operating procedure (SOP) for import from Bangladesh.
According to the SOP, every importer shall submit the list of vehicles he/she intends to use for import of goods from Bangladesh to the Deputy Commissioner in advance, including registration numbers and the names and mobile numbers of the drivers.
The DC will convene a meeting with all the importers of the district and limit the number of vehicles allowed to ply on any given day so as to avoid any traffic congestion at the land customs station. There should be only one driver for each vehicle and he shall mandatorily wear a mask and practise hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette at all times.
The SOP also states that all import papers brought by the truck driver from Bangladesh shall be properly sanitised and, if possible, soft copies of the papers may be sent in advance. Also, during loading of products, the importer should ensure that all protocols prescribed by the Health and Welfare Department on COVID-19 are strictly adhered to. In addition, each loaded vehicle shall affix a label on the windshield of the vehicle indicating the name of the importer, the nature of the goods, the quantity being transported, and the route being followed.
The District Magistrate, in the order, also stated that no vehicle should halt midway once it has left the point of origin and the drivers are advised to carry packed food. The driver of the vehicle will be screened by officials of the Health department before entering India and the vehicle will also be properly sanitized. Furthermore, the drivers of the vehicles ferrying goods will be tested once every ten days. All importers must ensure that that movement of their drivers is restricted from place of stay to their workplace and vice versa.
