SHILLONG: The border haat located at Balat in East Khasi Hills District is generating a good amount of trade between India and Bangladesh besides playing a pivotal role in improving the economy of the border population.
Functioning since the year 2012, the border haat does a business of Rs 15 lakh every month on an average and goes into business once every week. East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner, Sanjay Goyal said that the haat witnesses a business of Rs 3-4 lakh every week.
While asserting that mostly horticultural and agricultural products are brought to the haat for trade, Goyal pointed out that Haat Management Committee (HMC) reviews the functioning of haat from time to time besides taking various precautions to ensure that it functions according to the law.
Reacting to a query about the measures taken to prevent smuggling in the haat, Goyal said that smuggling of any product is out of the question due to the stringent security measures that have been put in place.
Indian traders sell gingers, bay leaves, oranges, bananas, pineapples, lemons, potatoes, tamarind, black pepper and areca nuts while items such as molasses, brinjal, garlic, sugarcane and pillows are sold by traders from Bangladesh.
It may be mentioned that the Union Government has also sanctioned a Border Haat at Nalikata along the Indo-Bangla border near Balat in East Khasi Hills District which would start functioning as soon as the infrastructure is ready. There has been a large demand from people residing in border areas to inaugurate similar border haats at different places for upliftment of the economic condition of the border villages.
