Indo-Sino trade through Nathu La from May 1

Gangtok, Apr 30: The India-China border trade through Nathu La,the part of an old silk route, will begin tomorrow and will continuetill November 30.

The trade was originally scheduled to start from June one to September 30.

Official sources here today said the preponement and the extensionof the duration of the trade to six months was taken by the Centre inconsultations with its Chinese counterpart in a bid to make the trademore vibrant and successful.

The office of the District Collector (East) entrusted with thetask of issuing passes to the traders were working overtime to issuepasses.

Despite this, the trade bodies like Indo-China Traders Associationand Sikkim Chambers of Commerce have welcomed the decision of extendingthe duration of the trade.

The Nathu La reopened for border trade last year after a gap of 44years following a series of deliberations between India and China.

The trade route was closed in the wake of the Sino-India war in 1962.

UNI