Exports to Bangladesh set to resume through Bengal's Malda land port

    Kolkata, Jun 3 (PTI) Exports to Bangladesh are set to
resume via West Bengal's Malda district after traders agreed
to a solution of creating a pool of drivers, who would work in
batches to deliver consignments across the border and stay in
an isolation centre after returning, an official said on
Wednesday.
    The mechanism at Mahadipur land port is set to start
any moment, he said.
    A pool of 50 local truck drivers will only be allowed
to go up to Panama parking lot in Bangladesh, around 200
metres from the international border, and will return after
unloading goods, he said, adding that they need not move
anywhere else in the neighbouring country.
    The drivers will work for 15 days. After that, another
group of 50 drivers will carry out the activity, Mahadipur
Exporters' Association secretary Prasenjit Ghosh said.
    "Exports will resume on Thursday, if not Wednesday. We
have agreed to follow the instructions given by the
administration and notified the details to our members," Ghosh
told PTI.
    The drivers, who will enter Bangladesh, will have to
stay in an isolation centre, close to the border, during non-
working hours, he said.
    The exporting vehicles can enter the neighbouring
country between 8 am and 4 pm and they have to return by 6 pm.
    "This is a workable model in the crisis period. But,
this cannot be a long term solution," Federation of Indian
Exports Organisations regional chairman (east) Sushil Patwari
said.
    Exports to the neighbouring country through various
land ports in West Bengal have not resumed as truckers
apprehended that they would be quarantined after returning
from Bangladesh.
    The trade between the two countries takes place
through the land ports at Mahadipur in Malda district,
Changrabandha in Cooch Behar, Fulbari in Jalpaiguri, Hilli in
South Dinajpur, Ghojadanga and Petrapole in North 24-Parganas
district among others.
    Every day, around 300 trucks laden with various goods
go to Bangladesh through Mahadipur land port, and the average
value of daily trade is estimated in the range of Rs 15-20
crore, the official of the exporters' body said. On the other
side, there is is Sona Masjid, a land port in the Chapai-
Nawabganj district of Bangladesh.
    The issues related to exports through Petrapole land
port that accounts for the majority of trade between India
and Bangladesh, have not been resolved.
    The state government allowed resumption of exports on
May 11, following the Centre's notification on cross-border
trade, but fear among locals over the spread of coronavirus
from the returning truckers prevented trade to take off.
    Even a plan to unload trucks at ground zero failed.
    Asked whether the Mahadipur (Malda) model can be
replicated, an official of the Petrapole land port authority
said, "The Malda arrangement was made by the district
administration. A decision has to be taken at an appropriate
level."
    The FIEO on May 27 shot a letter to Chief Minister
Mamata Banerjee, highlighting plights of the small exporters
and raising apprehensions about thousands of job losses.
    Even as talks have gained momentum over trade through
rail, road and waterways, exports are yet to resume. PTI BSM
BDC BDC

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)