Liberalise import rules, Tripura CM tells Bangladesh

Agartala, July 9: Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb said Bangladesh should liberalise its import rules so that more products from Tripura could be exported to the neighbouring country.

"We like open market policy. We get many items from Bangladesh including Hilsa and we also want to send fruits like queen variety pineapple, cashewnut, jackfruits and many other things like rubber sheets. They send wide number of products, but we cannot due to legal barriers, which should immediately be removed," he said.

There are barriers in sending products from Tripura to Bangladesh through the Akhaura border here because these are not listed items.

"The same products could be sent thorough Benapol border in West Bengal. We have listed 17 items which we want to export to Bangladesh through Akhaura border here," Deb told reporters.

The chief minister said, he would raise this issue in the meeting of North Eastern Council which will be held in Shillong tomorrow .

Deb said he would also take up the matter with External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj.

The chief minister said Tripura would be the gateway to North-East and for this reason completion of the bridge on the river Feni at Sabroom in South Tripura district is required.

Sabroom is 130 km from here and 70 km from Chittagong port.

He said Tripura government was working hard to implement the Prime Minister Naendra Modis dream of doubling the income of the farmers by 2022.

Deb said the BJP government in the state has arranged for adequate supply of fertilisers to the farmers, making free insurance policy for them and laid stress on organic farming.

He claimed his government, which took oath of office on March 9 this year has started implementing the poll pledges, named in the BJP's Vision Document.

Funds were made available for seventh pay commission pay scales for the state government employees, a transparent recruitment policy has been formulated and e-tendering system has been started, Deb said.

He said Union Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu would soon come to Tripura to formally name the Agartala Airport after the last ruler of the Manikya dynasty, Maharaja Birbikram Kishore Manikya.