TFC gets additional facilities in Poonch

Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta and tourism minister Tassaduq Hussain Mufti have inaugurated additional infrastructure facilities at Trade Facilitation Centre (TFC) in Poonch district, an official spokesman said.

TFC caters to cross-border trade between businessmen of J&K and PoK along LoC in Poonch.

The infrastructure has come up at an expenditure of Rs 10.25 crore under Phase-2 of the upgradation project, the spokesman said.

Goods worth Rs 3,432.94 crore were traded between J&K and PoK via two LoC points of Chakan-Da-Bagh and Salamabad along the Indo-Pak border during last three years.

The additional infrastructure includes parking place for 60 vehicles, barrack for security, medical aid centre, dormitory for truck drivers, toilet complex, compound wall, ramps for rummaging, lawns, lighting facilities.

Earlier, the deputy CM interacted with traders and gave ears to their demands to further facilitate hassle-free trade at TFC.

They apprised him of immediate need of installing full-body scanners to do away the practice of manual security checking of goods which causes great inconvenience to traders.

Traders also urged to address the issue of shortage of staff and increase in the number of trade items.

Gupta assured them of fulfilling their demands in a phased manner.

The value of items traded by businesses in the state during the three-year period amounted to Rs 1,676.77 crore while the same stood at Rs 1,756.17 crore with regards to PoK businessmen.

As many as 21 items are traded along these points between PoK and J&K since the trade started in 2005.