Centre contemplating to post custom officials at Nampong

ITANAGAR: The Centre is contemplating to depute custom officials soon at Nampong in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh to start trade on the Indo-Myanmar border.

The External Affairs ministry would initiate action to develop road infrastructure in the area, besides requesting the Myanmar government to set up a corresponding land customs station on their side of the border near Nampong, official sources said here today.

The decision was taken at a meeting between Union Minister of State (MoS) for Commerce and Industry E M Sudarshana Natchiappan, MoS for Minority Affairs Ninong Ering, Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Minister Setong Sena and officers from the Commerce, Home Affairs and External Affairs ministries at New Delhi yesterday, sources said.

During the meeting, a follow-up to Natchiappan's visit to Nampong in November last year - a range of related issues including the status of the trade activities at the Indo-Myanmar border, border haats at Pangsau Pass, industrial development in Arunachal Pradesh, and establishment of an integrated check post in Arunachal Pradesh, were discussed threadbare, sources said.

It was also agreed that the Arunachal Pradesh government would send pending project proposals for industrial development in Nampong to the Union Commerce ministry at the earliest.

Natchiappan would discuss all related issues with the Myanmar government during his visit to that country in mid-March, sources added.