Inconsistency hits Indo-Myanmar trade business in Mizoram.

Aizawal, July 16: Mizoram has not made much progress in improving border trade activities along India-Myanmar area here, thanks to lack of infrastructure and policy framework.

The Indian and the Myanmar government have been working together for years on the necessary infrastructure to open the Champhai-Rih border trade in the state.

Few years ago, the authorities in Mizoram enthusiastically evicted villagers staying on Indo-Burma border for a new Indo-Burma border trade route.

Many houses in the nearby villages were bulldozed by the authorities as the owners refused to move to the government-allocated new site.

Following the eviction, the Mizoram government had set-up a small custom house for petty trading. Under the agreement, 22 items were identified for exchange by residents living along the border between India and Myanmar.

In order to improve the trade further, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has also been entrusted with the task of constructing a multi-crore land custom station at Zakhawthar Indo-Myanmar area.

However, the work on the land custom station at Zokhawthar, 210-km from the capital city, is going on at a snail's pace.

Utilisation of Rs 300 crore, in the meantime is being delayed, according to the trade experts here.

Admitting the lethargic approach towards border trade, Chief Minister Zoramthanga told UNI that the border business is yet to materialise.

''To improve the trade, first it is necessary to deport all unauthorised immigrants who are staying here'', he said.
Construction work of the much hyped trade post in Zokhawthar is being plagued by inadequte manpower, government delay and lack of proper functioning of the existing trade format. ''I have only one inspector and a constable to look after the entire trade proceedings here'', Alagiri Swamy, Customs superintendent posted at Zokhawthar, lamented.

As a result, the projected capacity of handling about 200 trucks has reduced to half.

According to official sources from Champhai district headqarters of the region, the state government has already doled out Rs 10 lakh for land acquisition.

Earlier, customs officials believed that the trade post at Zokhawthar could easily ovetake Manipur's Moreh trade post since Mizoram was relatively free of rebels.

According to the records, despite extortion, Moreh generates at least Rs 300 crore annually, a stark contrast to Zokhawthar's Rs 3 crore turn over.

Chief Forest Conservator H Ramhluna also lamented that import of the world famous Burma teak, other forest items, could not be done as expected, due to the lack of initiative by the concerned authorities.

Going by the Centre's border trade blue-print, India plans to build 12 trade posts along the Myanmar border at an estimated cost of Rs 9 billion within three years.

Excise sources also added that in the meantime, the narcotics trade from across the border continues with Indian insurgent groups resorting to it as a prime source of finance.

Poppy grown on the Indian side of the border is transported into Myanmar for refining and the refined heroin either finds its way to Thailand or is routed back into the Indian states of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Meghalaya.

UNI