SRINAGAR: Minister for Industries and Commerce Chandra Prakash Ganga informed the Legislative Assembly that establishing banking facilities for cross Line of Control (LoC) trade is under process between Pakistan and India.
“The banking plan received from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs regarding establishment of baking facilities at the Trade Facilitation Centre at Uri’s Salamabad area and the Chakha-da-Bagh in Poonch has been approved by the state government and the same has been conveyed to the Indian government,” he said.
He also said that the process was under discussion between Pakistan and India but has not been cleared yet. He said that 144 traders were registered to do cross-LoC trade via Chakan-de-Bagh and 367 from Salamabad for 21 listed tradable items. He said that revised agreed list of the items has been sent to the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi.
In a supplementary question raised by MLA Hakim Yaseen about a committee formed in the state to look after the LoC trade and take up issues related to it with Pakistan, the minister said that no such committee exists as of now. He said that any deliberation with Pakistan was possible through the departments of external and home affairs (in New Delhi).
To a supplementary raised by MLA Raja Manzoor over opening of Teetwal crossing point for trade, Ganga said that about seven more crossing points have been recommended to New Delhi to be opened for the inter-Kashmir trade. “Teetwal is one among them,” he said, adding that the Ministry of Home Affairs could take a final decision on it.
On checking of tradable items at the crossing points, the minister said that plan for the installation of Full Body Truck Scanner (FBTS) and CCTVs would be installed at the trade facilitation centres.
