By Firstdespatch Desk Jul 22, 2023
Agartala, July 22 (FD) Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, undertook a two-day visit to the state of Tripura, where she inspected the Srimantapur Integrated Check Post (ICP) and the landport station in Sonamura under Sepahijala district on Saturday.
During her visit, Sitharaman evaluated the facilities at the ICP and the ongoing construction of a jetty on the Gomati River, which lies along the India-Bangladesh border.
The Finance Minister engaged with various officials during her tour of the ICP, discussing matters concerning the customs station that has seen a considerable rise in passenger movement and trade between the two countries. The Border Security Force (BSF), Customs, and the Land Port Authority of India have collaborated to facilitate seamless passenger and trade movement at the Srimantapur ICP.
As part of the visit, Sitharaman released a booklet titled "Connecting Borders," highlighting the operational land customs stations in the North-East region. The event was attended by officials from different central departments, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the Land Port Authority of India, and the state administration.
The Finance Minister also visited the zero point along the Indo-Bangladesh border at pillar number 2083, where she was warmly received by the Border Guard Bangladesh with a bouquet of flowers.
Notably, Sitharaman had inaugurated the Srimantapur landport station on January 6, 2016, during her tenure as the Minister of State for the Ministry of Commerce.
Yogendra Garg, Chief Commissioner of Central GST and Central Excise of the North-East region, shared that during the visit, Sitharaman provided valuable guidance to officials on enhancing facilities at the station. The Finance Minister expressed her satisfaction with the ICP's performance in terms of passenger and trade flow.
In recent times, the Srimantapur ICP has witnessed an upward trend in passenger movement and import-export activities. In the financial year 2022-23, the ICP saw 26,405 passengers arriving from Bangladesh and 25,582 outgoing passengers. Additionally, the ICP's custom duty collection amounted to Rs. 17.85 crore during the same period. FD SB