Border trade between India and China is going to resume after six years through Lipulekh Pass located in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. This trading session usually runs from June to September. District Magistrate Ashish Bhatgai said that preparations have been started following the instructions of the Central Government. This process has progressed after the No Objection Certificate (NOC) was issued by the Ministry of External Affairs. Border trade with Tibet through Lipulekh Pass was resumed in 1992 after a long gap. However, it was closed in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be trade in Rupee and Yuan. During the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India on August 18-19 last year, India and China had decided to trade in Rupee and Yuan. Till now it was based on ‘barter’ i.e. exchange of goods in exchange for goods. Along with Lipulekh, it was also decided to restore business from Shipki La and Nathu La passes. India-China trade, which is going to start through three passes of the Himalayas, will be completely through road for the first time. Money exchange will also open here. Traders from Tibet come to sell salt, borax, animal products, herbs and local goods, while Indian traders take goats, sheep, grains, spices, jaggery, sugar candy, wheat there. However, Nepal had objected to this agreement. He says that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani are part of his territory. He has appealed to India and China not to do any activity in this area. Lipulekh Pass was a formal trade route even during the British period. Lipulekh Pass was a major center of trade and pilgrimage. In 1991, India and China made it a formal trade route. In the year 2005, there was import of Rs 12 crore and export of Rs 39 lakh between India and China. In the year 2018, there was import of Rs 5.59 crore and export of Rs 96.5 lakh. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has written a letter to Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan requesting to restore trade through the Himalayan passes. It has been told in the letter that approval has also been received from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The state government has been instructed that the concerned departments should ensure all necessary arrangements for the trade session of 2026. Contact details will be shared between local authorities of India and China for better coordination. The administration has instructed the Dharchula administration to issue trade passes, arrange banks for currency exchange, deploy the customs department and prepare a detailed action plan. This will include transit camps, communication, banking, security and medical facilities for traders. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has written a letter to Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan requesting to restore trade through the Himalayan passes. It has been told in the letter that approval has also been received from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Traders welcomed the decision. President of Pithoragarh Frontier Trade Organization, Jeevan Singh Ronkali welcomed the decision. He said that this will give an opportunity to traders to bring back the goods kept in the warehouse in Taklakot (Tibet) since 2019.
Source link
[ad_3]
लिपुलेख दर्रे से 6 साल बाद भारत-चीन ट्रेड फिर शुरू: जून-सितंबर में खुलेगा ट्रेड सेशन, केंद्र सरकार से मंजूरी; 2019 में बंद हुआ था
