PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The State Cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the newly elected Prime Minister of Nepal, Balendra Shah and chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on the project of building a modern land port on the India-Nepal border (Mahendra Nagar) in the Banbasa (Gudmi) area of Champawat district. Notably, the land port is being built with the support of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) and the Uttarakhand government. Modi and Balendra Shah will soon jointly lay its foundation stone.
Maharaj stated that this state-of-the-art land port will serve as a new bridge of friendship and strengthen India-Nepal relations. “Any obstacles to the land port’s construction are being rapidly removed to expedite the project,” he said.
To accelerate things, he had visited the site several times, conducted on-site inspections, held several rounds of meetings with officials and also discussed the project with the Nepalese Ambassador. Sources close to the minister said that thanks to his initiatives, funds in the first phase worth about Rs 500 crore, environmental clearance, transfer of 84 acres of forest land and other formalities for this project have been completed.
Maharaj further said that the construction of this land port will house customs, immigration, security, cargo terminal, passenger terminal and health unit in a single complex, making it an integrated, fast and secure system for trade and passenger movement at the border. “The land port will provide direct access to Nepali markets for farmers and small producers, reduce transport costs and facilitate value addition of products. Once completed, it will provide new employment opportunities for local youth and boost India-Nepal trade, tourism and cultural exchange. Plus, it will prove to be a major step in transforming the economy of the border region and strengthening the relations between the two countries,” he added.
