Planning Commission ask NE for border trade inputs

Aizawl, Oct 6: The Planning Commission has asked the North Eastern states to prepare a blueprint on the improvement of border trade with their respective neighbouring countries.

Based on the views and suggestions from these states, the Centre will chalk out a stragegy for initiating more trade with these countries, espcially with Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.

The fresh plan will focus on border trade between the NE and ASEAN nations, besides infrastructure development and improving road and air connectivity.

Currently, the Commission was of the view that due to its strategic location, the region possess a huge potential for trade with these countries, and promotion of border trade will be major thrust area in the plan.

The Commission had also assured the states that the Centre would step in to build infrastructure in the region, wherever public-private participation was not possible due to various constraints.

The Centre had already sanctioned a special accelerated road development project in the region for building 7,000 km roads over the next six years with Rs 15,000 crore investment.

Currently, the Phase-I of the project was under implementation.

The Commission had also pointed that the policy and prospect of border trade through the northeast were not explored in the past and hence it was not a part of the 10th plan, and now with the process of globalisation, the ground realities had changed and the issues had gained immense significance.

UNI