Special integrated check post at Attari to be operational by April 2011

The Integrated Check Post (ICP) at the Attari border, Amritsar to facilitate trade between India and Pakistan is likely to be operational by April 2011.

With more than 60 per cent work being over, the ambitious project spread over 130 acres and built with a project cost of Rs150 crore would be completed within its deadline. Experts believe that trade with these two countries will further achieve a new milestone, once the state-of-the-art facility becomes operational.

According to data, on an average 30-50 trucks laden with Indian merchandise cross the Wagah border daily at present. With the completion of ICP, the infrastructure will enable ten times the the number of trucks to pass conveniently.

 

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had already placed orders for installation of necessary machinery, including high-tech scanners for customs and immigration departments, for speedier services at the border.

“The ICP would provide modern infrastructural facilities for cross-border movement of persons, vehicles and goods. We are also going to install full body scanners for trucks. The facility would also give a filip to India’s trade and commerce,” said P K Sirohi, chief commissioner, Central Excise and Service Tax, Chandigarh

It is worth mentioning that the Indo-Pak trade has got a shot in the arm with the commencement of cross-border movement of truct on October 1, 2007of trucks along the Attari border, Amritsar(Punjab) on October 1, 2007. This historic day was not only a milestone in Indo-Pak bilateral relations over the last 60 years but also in the world history as the entire global focus was likely to be on the Indian subcontinent in the years to come. Earlier, the goods were exported by porters by exchanging their loads on Radcliff line(border).

It is expected that with the work on ICP going at war footing level, trade will achieve new milestones. At present trade between India and Pakistan is done through Rail Route from Amritsar and Attari border. The progress of trade between the two countries has received mixed response.

It is expected that the opening of Attari border for the trade, there would be a spurt in the economic activity between the Indian and Pakistan Punjab, resulting in huge revenue and employment generation. Further analysts says that there was a tremendous scope of increasing the trade from the few designated items which had been permitted for trade through trucks would be increased many fold including sport goods, light engineering hand tool, machine tools, hosiery and processed food products from Punjab and fine staples cotton would be imported from Pakistan which has assured demand in the Indian market.

Further, the agriculture economy of both countries would get a major boost with the opening of trade through this border because the farmers would get better and remunerative prices for the produce because the movement of the agriculture goods prove to be cost effective resulting in profit maximization to the advantage of the both countries.