NEW DELHI, Dec 3: India has approved Bhutan’s call for the opening of four new trading routes for bilateral and transit trade between the two countries. Agartala in Tripura, Jogighopa and Pandu in Assam and Nagarkata in West Bengal will be used as a gateway and will be operational shortly.
In mid-October, the Indian government had granted commercial access through Ahllay in Bhutan, corresponding to the Torsha tea garden in India, as an alternative to the Jaigaon-Phuentsholing road, which considerably eased the disturbance of the movement of goods, especially during the Covid-19 situation.
The notification of Agartala as a new trading route is, expected to promote Bhutan’s trade via India with Bangladesh. Till date, Dhubri in Assam is the only river port designated for Bhutan’s trade with India. With this latest development, two new river ports – Jogighopa and Pandu, both situated in Assam on Indian National Waterway 2 along the Brahmaputra River – will be included as additional trading routes for Bhutan’s bilateral and transit trade with India. These innovations are, aimed at benefiting, Bhutanese traders by rising logistical productivity both in terms of time and expenses.
Previously, Nagarkata, bordering Jitti and Samtse, has been notified as a ‘seasonal’ Land Customs Station (LCS) limited to trade of goods like Orange, Ginger, and Cardamom. With this latest development, Nagarkata will now be, notified as a ‘permanent’ LCS without any limitations on resources, thus allowing Bhutan to export internal boulders and river bed materials to India and other third countries, throughout the year.
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Newly Appointed Assistant Defence Advisor to the High Commission of India Calls on Defence Officials
Captain Vikas Sood the Defence Advisor to the High Commission of India in Colombo, along with Lt Col Puneet Sushil the newly named Assistant Defence Adviser, made a courtesy call on Shavendra Silva the Officiating Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of Sri Lanka Army, Air Marshal Sudarshana Pathirana the Commander of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) at SLAF Headquarters and Major General (R) Vijitha Ravipriya Director General Customs of Sri Lanka.
According to a statement by the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka, the officials conducted cordial discussions on the current issues of bilateral security cooperation and suggestions, to further strengthen the current interaction.
(Venkatesh Iyer)