From Our Correspondent
Agartala: To have a first hand knowledge on the existing trade facilities along the Indo-Bangla border, an Indo-Bangla joint team on Saturday started visiting Land Customs Stations (LCSs).
Members of the joint team visited Akhaura Check Post and had a meeting there where existing trade facilities were discussed threadbare. The work for making Akhaura as Integrated LCS has already got underway to boost the bilateral trade with Bangladesh.
Sources said, representatives of Bangladesh expressed satisfaction over the infrastructure at Akhaura and underlined need to improve facilities across the border.
The team headed by first secretary of Indian High Commission in Dhaka B. Shyam and Dy secretary of Bangladesh Commerce Ministry Muktadir Hussain is scheduled to visit Sabroom in South Tripura district to see the proposed site for a bridge connecting Sabroom with Ramgarh (Bangladesh).
The LCS at Sabroom was dormant since long time but of late the Centre had de-notified it enabling authority concerned to operationalize the land port.
They will also Muhurighat LCS in Belonia subdivision and talk to the local importers and exporters. During five-day visit, the team will visit all the seven LCSs to see trade related facilities. Apart from LCS inspection, the joint team will also visit the proposed sites for Border Haats.
The Central government, aiming to boost the bilateral trade had already approved a proposal for setting up four Border Haats.
The four Border Haats will come up at Kamalasagar (Kasba), Srinagar, Kamalpur and Raghna. Here it may be noted that Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran had paid a visit to the state on June 5. During the visit, the Indian envoy also met Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and assured of rendering all possible help to strengthen bilateral ties with Bangladesh.
A border haat is already functioning along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya since last year.
“If the existing border infrastructure is upgraded, the volume of trade and business between Bangladesh and the northeastern states of India would increased five to six times,” Tripura’s Commerce and Industries Minister Jitendra Chaudhury said. “The haats will be allowed to sell local agricultural and horticultural products, spices, minor forest products (excluding timber), fresh and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items,” a senior Tripura government official, who did want to be named, told IANS. He said trading in these markets would be held once or twice a week, and a spending cap of $50 would be imposed per head. No local tax would be imposed on the trading, and both Indian and Bangladeshi currencies would be accepted, the official said.
“Trade between Bangladesh and Tripura alone has increased from Rs.4 crore in 1996 to Rs.258 crore in the last financial year. During the current fiscal (2011-12) up to December (last year), the trade increased to Rs.232 crore and is expected to cross Rs.300 crore by March-end,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)
