Time to open up north eastern borders: Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today said the north eastern borders were at a disadvantage for years due to the long international borders in the region and it is now time to open them up.

"It is time now to open up these borders and the borders that we share must become borders of economic activities for the growth and development of the region," he said after flagged off the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Friendship Motor car rally.

The NE states, Sangma said, have been engaging with the Centre to take up with the neighbouring countries and promote economic activities and people to people contact.

Referring to the BBIN Friendship Motor Car Rally, he said "Such kind of programme help us to create stories of potentialities of the region making it easier for us to connect with the rest of the world."

The rally, he said, should be made an annual event and he on behalf of Meghalaya government would take it up with the Centre for promoting it.

Highlighting on the potentialities of Meghalaya, the chief minister said the state alone contributes 67 per cent of the biodiversity reserves in the country.

The car rally is aimed at highlighting connectivity in the sub-region and possibility of seamless movements of vehicles across the borders through implementation of BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement, which would lead to economic integration of the region and help improve bilateral relations with the neighbouring countries.

It has been jointly organised by the Kalinga Motor Sports Club, Odisha in partnership with the counterpart clubs of the neighbouring countries and union ministry of road transport and highways.

It was flagged off from Bhubaneshwar on November 15 and will culminate in Kolkata on December 2 next after covering Ranchi, Patna, Gangtok, Thimpu, Guwahati, Shillong, Agartala and Chittagong and Dhaka in Bangladesh.

There are 77 delegates in the rally, including three women travelling in 20 SUVs.

From Shillong the rallyists departed for Silchar via Thadlaskein and Lumshnong in Jaintia Hills district.