Tripura to play notable role in improving ties with Dhaka: India
UNB
Tripura will play a remarkable role in improving relations with Bangladesh and be the gateway of Indias corridor with Southeast Asia Indian, says Indian Union Minister of State, Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, reports UNB.
Sitharaman made the remark while inaugurating a new Land Customs Station at Srimantapur checkpost on Wednesday.
Srimantapur is the second LCS developed by the State Government of Tripura bordering Bangladesh. It would have facilities for fast customs clearance, parking lots for trucks, etc to facilitate two-way trade between India and Bangladesh, according to Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
The minister (independent charge) said the Indian Centre (central government) will ensure construction of altogether eight land customs stations in Tripura along the border with Bangladesh and two of them - at Agartala and Srimantapur - have already come up, Indian media reported on Thursday.
According to officials, the land customs station here was built at a cost of Rs 16 crore on 2.83 acres of land bordering Comilla district of the neighbouring country, which is almost like an integrated checkpost with facilities like a weighbridge, warehouse, a computerised immigration system, bank with currency exchange facility among others, according to The Telegraph, India.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Industries and Commerce Minister Tapan Chakraborty also spoke on the occasion. People from both sides of the border attended the programme at Srimantapur.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attached the highest importance to improving relations with neighbouring countries and meaningful implementation of Act East policy. This integrated development complex was constructed with an eye on improving relations with Bangladesh, The Telegraph quoted the Union Minister as saying.
Sitharaman also emphasised riverine connectivity between India and Bangladesh by linking rivers of Tripura with those of Bangladesh as it would unlock the landlocked state.
Weve already received a proposal from the Tripura government for linking the states Gomati and Hawrah rivers with the Meghna in Bangladesh and the matter will be discussed with the Centre next week; to achieve this we may have to extensively dredge the rivers within Tripura but the Centre will help by sanctioning funds, Sitharaman said.
Apart from this, she laid emphasis on early completion of the construction of a bridge across the Phenbi River in Sabroom subdivision bordering the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh.
