The Union Home Minister P Chidambaram unveiled the foundation stone for the construction of an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Agartala on Tuesday at 12.15 PM in presence of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.
The ICP would facilitate movement of go...ods and people as well to and fro Bangladesh.
“The ICP would not only strengthen bilateral trades between the countries but also strengthen its historic, cultural and emotional bondages of the people of the two neighbours”, said Chidambaram.
The Union Home Minister who had arrived Agartala at 11.20 am on Tuesday was all praise for the Hasina government in Dhaka for their ‘splendid cooperation’ relating to India’s national security.
“I make a public statement about the cooperation and help that the Bangladesh government has been extending to us”, he said adding that he was of the opinion that contrary to popular demand he would stress on India importing more Bangladeshi goods since it is a bigger country and bigger economy.
Besides, Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Forest Minister Jirendra Choudhury Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Tarique Karim and Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Rajeet Mitter were also present on the dais.
He informed that to facilitate the movement of personnel and goods a Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) in line with Airport Authority of India would come up soon. The bill for the LPAI was tabled in the Parliament in September 2010.
Earlier, Secretary to Border Management A E Ahmed said, the setting up of ICPs along India’s internal border is a major initiative, which the government of India has taken as part of a plan scheme with an initial outlay of Rs 635 crore during the 11th Five Year Plan. The estimated cost of Agartala ICP project is Rs 73.50 crore. Rs 42.17 crore has been approved for the civil construction of this ICP. The schedule for the completion of the project is around 14 months. The project is likely to be completed by July, 2012.
The Department of Border Management has finalized the Detailed Project Reports for all the 13 ICPs to be initially set up on the borders between India and Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar.
The construction work of ICPs at Attari on the Indo-Pakistan border, Raxaul and Jogbani on the Indo-Nepal border and has already started.
The ICPs are envisaged to overcome the infrastructural bottlenecks at the various entry and exit points on the land borders of the country. They are expected to provide facilities for the effective and efficient discharge of sovereign functions such as security, immigration, customs, quarantine etc. While also providing support facilities for smooth cross-border movement of persons, goods and transport.
The Land Ports Authority of India Act, 2010 has been notified in the official gazette on 1st September, 2010. It will be functional very shortly. This body will be vested with powers on the line of similar bodies like the Airports Authority of India, LPAI has been envisaged as a statutory body for the planning, construction, maintenance and management of the se ICPs.
Till the LPAI comes into existence, an Empowered Steering Committee has been constituted under the Secretary (Border Management) to undertake the functions that will be ultimately discharged by the LPAI.
The ICP would be equipped with a modular design, dedicated lanes for each process, separate gates for traffic across border, passenger terminal building, cargo inspection sheds, banks, parking, currency exchange, warehouse, cold storage , cafeteria etc.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar in his speech stressed on the need of completion of the project in time and felt that Chidambaram would arrive once again to Tripura to formally inaugurate the ICP.
NB:(Report from T.I.)
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