by our special correspondentঃ
The exim trade at Petrapole resumed on Friday though it is yet to pick up the full steam.However the Bangladesi counterpart at Benapole assured the Indian officials that Benapole has been declared green zone by Bangladesi government. After a gap of over two months, bilateral trade has finally resumed through Petrapole Integrated Check Post at the India-Bangladesh border.
The number of trucks crossed 100 only on June 10.Earlier the number ranged from 10 to 37 trucks from June 7.West Bengal resumed bilateral trade with neighbouring Bangladesh through the Petrapole Integrated Check Post (ICP) in North 24 Parganas district on Sunday.Earlier several letters from centre failed to keep the trade alive.
“The bilateral trade to resume through the Petrapole ICP and all necessary safety protocol will be followed.” said Kartik Chakrabarty, secretary of CCAWA,that is actively involved in clearing process of the goods. Chakrabarty also rued that poor telecommunication link gets snapped which is halting the process of the online clerance of the goods.” Still some problems exists to collect gatepass and to get documents.
As a result the exim process is getting delayed”said Chakrabarty.The Land Port Authority of India had given a letter to the district magistrate on Sunday, requesting the movement of stranded trucks near Petrapole.”A pool of 100 local truck drivers will be allowed to go only up to 500 metres within the Bangladesh port area and return after unloading goods. We are trying to find a healthy solution so that our drivers, who will be leaving from India, are safe. They’re our responsibility,” a local administrative official said on condition of anonymity.
Now a pool of 76 truck drivers are working.Another official said that trade will be allowed for 12 hours daily. “However, the drivers who will be going to Bangladesh for unloading goods will be given PPE kits, hand gloves and masks by the BGTA Welfare Association, employers’ association, and workers’ association for their safety. Empty trucks will have to be sanitised, too,” the official added.The Bangladesi officials assured that if India sends around 300 truck perday they can be sent back same day after clearance.The Petrapole check post(ICP) was reopened on April 30, over a month after being closed due to lockdown.
However, four days after resuming operations, India’s biggest land port again shut down on May 2 following protests by Trinamool Congress-backed labour unions and villagers over the spread of coronavirus through Bangladeshi labourers to Indian drivers and helpers.
