Local bazaars allowed at India-Bangladesh border at Meghalaya

NEW DELHI: People on both sides of the India-Bangladesh border at Meghalaya can now organise haats (rural bazaars) as the bilateral agreement to this effect has become operational.

The two nations signed the agreement last October. Locally produced vegetables, food items, fruits, spices, minor local forest produce like bamboo, bamboo grass and broom stick can be traded at these haats.

The border haats will be at Baliamari-Kalaichar and Lauwaghar-Balat towns. People from the two sides will be able to move across the border to the haats on specific days and time, as decided by the authorities.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in the Commerce Ministry, which notified the arrangement, said sale of locally produced agriculture household implements - dao, plough, axe, spade and chisel will also be allowed at these bazaars.

"It (the notification) operationlises the provisions of Memorandum of Understanding of October 2010 between India and Bangladesh..." the DGFT said.

Vendors selling products at the haats will have to be residents of the area within 5 km radius, it added.

They may offer immediate consumption items of snack foods and juices, as may be allowed by the Haat Management Committee.