SME Times News Bureau | 13 May, 2019
Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das on Monday met
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and discussed connectivity and
trade-related issues between the north-eastern state and Bangladesh.
"We
have discussed trade and connectivity-related issues and projects.
Tripura has a significant role in increasing trade and improve
connectivity between India and Bangladesh," the Indian envoy told
reporters after the meeting with the Chief Minister.
She said the
number of 'border haats' (markets) in Tripura would be doubled from
two. In the border haats, vendors from India and Bangladesh are allowed
to sell local produce without any kind of duty or tax.
To improve
the livelihood of people on the border, India and Bangladesh (since
2011) have set up two haats in Tripura and Meghalaya.
"We also
discussed ways to further improve people-to-people contacts. The ongoing
connectivity projects will take some time," said Das, who took charge
as High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh in March.
The Indian
envoy arrived here on Monday on a two-day visit to the bordering
north-eastern state. She also visited the under-construction
Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh) 15-km railway project site and the
integrated check post.
The state-run Indian Railways Construction
Company (Ircon) is laying the 5-km track on the Indian side and the
remaining 10-km rail would be laid by the Bangladesh railways. India
will bear the entire cost of the rail project.
The Rs 963 crore
($145 million) project was finalised during a meeting between Bangladesh
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New
Delhi in January 2010.
The Agartala-Akhaura rail link is likely to become operational within a year.
