Arunachal Pradesh Team Studies Border Trading at Moreh in Manipur
Our Correspondent
Itanagar: A team of officials and legislators from Arunachal Pradesh led by State Assembly Deputy Speaker Tesam Pongte is on a four-day visit to the border trade point at Moreh in Manipur to study infrastructure facilities and functioning of the trade point so that several border trade points in the State could be established.
The tour, which began on October 13, is being organized at the directives of Governor Brig (retd) Dr BD Mishra, official sources informed here on Wednesday.
The team would submit the detailed report of the visit to the State Government on its arrival in Itanagar.
The team in the border trade point at Moreh visited the Land Customs Station (LCS) Office and had a fruitful discussion in the meeting with the officers of department of commerce and industry of Manipur besides, Commandant of 43 Assam Rifles, officers from Integrated Check Post (ICP) and Customs and trade body represented by Surinder Singh Patheja, Secretary, Border Trade Chamber of Commerce, Moreh.
The team on October 14 called on Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla and shared issues related to border trade point at Nampong in Changlang district bordering Myanmar and Moreh in Manipur, the sources said.
The team is likely to make a courtesy call on Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh where the team will share their on-the-spot experience and get more input and advise from the Chief Minister related to the functioning of Land Customs Station.
The team leader on behalf of the team and the State Government expressed their gratitude to the Manipur government for the hospitality and clock precision tour itinerary arranged for successful visit to the border trade point to get first hand information so as enable to replicate the same at Nampong, if found feasible, the sources added.
Arunachal Pradesh is strategically placed to act as a land bridge between mainland India and the ASEAN countries because of its geographical position and there lies a great potential for increasing India’s trade with ASEAN and other border countries through Pangsau Pass under the Indo-Myanmar Sector, which can be fruitfully exploited by creating world-class infrastructure for logistics as well as transport.
The visit to border trade point at Moreh to study the set-up and functioning of border trade point at Moreh, Manipur will be of impetus for shaping the Border Trade Point at Pangsau Pass through Land Customs Station at Nampong.
The Land Customs Station at Nampong was approved and notified by the Centre way back in 1951 which is now lying non-functional. At present, traditional informal low profile trade (thrice in a month) is being carried out as permissible by which the indigenous hill tribes of both India and Burma (Myanmar) living within 40 km were exempted from the requirement of the Indian Passport Rules, 1950.
As per latest amended Rule under Free Movement Regime, 40 kms of exempted area is now reduced to 16 kms. It is presently organized on every 10th, 20th and 30th of every month on the Myanmar side in the form of melas/bazaars under the supervision of district administration and paramilitary forces.
Every Friday of the week is declared as “Myanmar Day”, wherein the Myanmarese nationals, both the villagers and the government officials, come down to Nampong to buy their day-to-day requirement and other essentials, the sources added.
The other members of the team include, MLAs Laisam Simai and Chau Zingnu Namchoom, Trade and Commerce secretary Anirudh S Singh, Trade & Commerce Director Tokong Pertin and deputy director Sonyung Modi.