Integrated check posts being set up to smoothen trade through borders

These ICPs,equipped with state-of-the-art technology,will be a sanitized zone with dedicated terminals for both passenger and cargo. It will provide adequate customs and immigration counters,X-ray scanners,passenger amenities and other related facilities such as service stations and fuel stations in a single modern complex.

“Trade with these countries is happening at a healthy rate,but the traders are wary of increasing it to higher volumes because of the under-developed land transit system. There are huge queues at the border check posts,in some cases as long as 5 km,and it takes 2-3 days for consignments to be cleared. The ICPs aim at reducing the time taken and enhancing the efficiency,” the source said.

The source said the existing infrastructure available with the customs,immigration and other regulatory agencies at the Land Custom Stations is gravely inadequate and support facilities like warehouses,parking lots,banks,hotels,fuel outlets,etc are also not sufficient. ICPs will integrate the regulatory and support functions in a single complex.

The government plans to open 13 ICPs across the borders of Bangladesh,Nepal and Pakistan. Work has already started at Attari and Raxaul bordering India-Pakistan,and Petrapole (Indo-Bangladesh). The work at other centres — Dawki (Meghalaya),Agartala,Hilli (West Bengal),Changrabanda (West Bengal) and Sutar Khandi (Assam),among others — will start in the second phase.

In 2007,India and Pakistan had agreed to start cross-border movement of trucks after a gap of 60 years from the Attari check post in Amritsar to the Wagah border in Pakistan.