Union Minister of Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman and her Bangladesh counterpart Tofil Ahmed are scheduled to join in the inaugural program of the border ‘haat’, about 110 kilometres south from here.
The ‘haat’ is anticipated to cater the livelihood option of about a thousand of marginal income families and small traders of both the countries.
The border ‘haat’ in Srinagar and the roads connecting the haat on Indian side were constructed by India at a cost of Rs 2.4 crore.
As per the decision, business in the ‘haat’ would take place once a week initially among the people living within 5 km radius of the border who would sell and buy locally produced goods and crops.
No tax would be imposed on the items to be sold in the haats and currencies of both the countries will be allowed in haat, the officials said.
Initially, 16 items were short listed which include agricultural and horticultural crops, spices, minor forest products excluding timber, fish and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items to be sold in the haat.
Besides, Srinagar, three more border haats are soon to be operational Kamalasagar of West Tripura, Kamalpur in Dhalai district and Ragna in North Tripura. Tripura government has been persuading for four more border haats in the state to boost the border economy and curve the illegal trade between two countries.
Source: The Shillong Times
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