Trade movement through Attari-Wagah route to resume tomorrow

CHANDIGARH: Trade movement between India and Pakistan through the Attari-Wagah land route will resume from tomorrow after Punjab traders today decided to withdraw their protest against higher handling charges at the newly set up Integrated Check Post (ICP).

This was following assurance from Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), which is taking care of cargo handling at the ICP, to resolve the issue soon.

"We have decided to restart trade (at Attari-Wagah land route) tomorrow because CWC has assured us to resolve our issues related to handling of cargo (at Integrated Check Post)," Amritsar based trader Rajdeep Uppal told PTI.

A delegation of six traders from Punjab met CWC Chairman B B Patnaik and Land Port Authority of India Member Mohinder Ranga in New Delhi in this regard today, he said.

Traders said the CWC officials had assured that no storage charges for gypsum imported from Pakistan would have to be paid at ICP for the last three days.

"Moreover, a team of CWC along with Land Port Authority of India will visit ICP on Friday to take stock of the situation and look into the problems being faced by traders there," Uppal said

Movement of goods between India and Pakistan through the Attari- Wagah border have virtually come to a halt after Punjab traders protested against the "exorbitant" hike in handling charges of cargo at the ICP.

Traders have not been allowing export of any item to Pakistan since April 27 while no delivery has been taken by Indian importers of cargo coming from the neighbouring country.

According to traders, the handling charges at new ICP is over 40 per cent more than what they were paying at old check post.

Importers and exporters are now being charged Rs 200 per truck as entry fee, ground rent and higher labour charges, they said.

Pakistan based traders have also extended their support to their cause as they have also stopped sending truck loads of goods to India through land route.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram had inaugurated the ICP on April 13 which was built at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

The new ICP, which boasts of dedicated terminals for passengers and cargo, customs and immigration facilities, is poised to give a boost to bilateral trade between the two nations.