Uttarakhand News: Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday conducted on-site inspection of the modern land port project to be constructed by Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) at a cost of about ₹ 500 crore in Gudmi area of Banbasa in Champawat district. The Chief Minister said that this project will prove to be very helpful in cooperation, trade and development of border areas between India and Nepal. He said that the Land Ports Authority of India of the Government of India is rapidly progressing this ambitious project with the cooperation of the Government of Uttarakhand.
The Chief Minister said that since the beginning of the project, all the formalities of environmental clearance, compensatory plantation and land transfer have been completed. This year, final approval of about 84 acres of forest land was received by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, after which the construction work of the project has been carried forward. The Chief Minister said that this modern land port, which is going to be built at a cost of about ₹500 crore, will develop an integrated, convenient and safe system for trade and passenger movement between India and Nepal. Here, all the major agencies related to customs, security, trade and border will work in one complex, which will make border management more fast and transparent.
The Chief Minister said that this project is not limited to just infrastructure creation, but it will become a medium to change the economic scenario of the marginal areas. He said that the strategically located Banbasa Land Port will also empower cross border trade, create a formal gateway for agricultural and industrial products and generate new employment opportunities for the local youth. The Chief Minister said that through the land port, farmers and small producers will get direct access to cross border markets, which will reduce transportation costs and enable value addition to the products. The Chief Minister said that this initiative will further strengthen the mutual relations between India and Nepal, which will also promote tourism, cultural exchange and mutual cooperation.
The Chief Minister said that the project is in line with the Government of India’s vision of regional integration and its policy of secure, sustainable border development. He informed that a design competition is being organized by LPAI, through which such an eco-friendly model will be prepared which will be a balanced example of modernity and nature conservation. The Chief Minister asked the Government of India, Land Port Authority and all the departments and agencies of the state to work in mutual coordination, so that the construction work can be done quickly. He said that the Banbasa Land Port Project will give a new identity of prosperity, cooperation and opportunities to the borders of Uttarakhand.
