With the increase in trade between landlocked Tripura and neighbouring Bangladesh, the Centre is considering a State government proposal for opening border markets and introduction of flights on the Agartala-Dhaka-Chittagong routes.
The Union Home Ministry has informed the State that it was considering to open two ‘haats' or border markets in west and south Tripura districts, the Minister for Commerce and Industries, Mr Jiten Chowdhury, told PTI here.
“Border haats will facilitate trade in a 5-km radius of the border of the two countries so that local growers can get market connectivity,” he said. “Generally no vehicles are used for marketing of local products and border guards take care of security. However, modalities are yet to be finalised.”
The State government sent proposals to the Ministry of Home affairs for opening border haats in six points on the 856-km Indo-Bangla international border. He said trade between Tripura and Bangladesh rose to Rs 300 crore in the current fiscal against Rs 163 crore last year.
Flights
The Ministry of Civil Aviation, he said, was also considering introduction of flights on the Agartala-Dhaka-Chittagong route as the prospect of export and import business with Bangladesh was good.
Mr Chowdhury said alignment of the 16-km rail link from Agartala to Akhaura in Bangladesh has been completed by engineers of both countries and Rs 251 crore required for laying railway tracks would be borne by India.