'Land Ports Authority will act as first dialogue centre for our neighbouring countries'

JOGBANI (Bihar): Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the land borders of India are not only used for purposes of trade but also to strengthen cultural and social relations with our neigbouring countries. "India shares 15000 Km of land border with its neighbouring countries. This border is not only useful for trade but can also be used to strengthen cultural and social relations," Amit Shah said speaking at a public event at Jogbani, a bordering village in Bihar.

Speaking about the importance given to Land Ports Authority of India, Shah said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to strengthening Land Port Authority. In the coming 5-6 years, Land Ports Authority will also act as cultural and trade ambassador of India."

"Land Ports Authority wil act as a first dialogue centre for our neighbouring countries. We aim to make the facilities of Land Ports Authority technically advanced and cross-border trade much easier," he added.

Amit Shah said that new land ports would help increase the cross-country trade. "The Land Port Authority made here in 7485 square meter area, average trade figure for it is Rs. 10,500 crores. In the coming days, with the construction of the remaining three land ports with Nepal, this figure will go higher...This will increase the trade approach and trade relations. This will only increase the trade between the two countries...," he said.

Speaking about trade between India and Nepal, Amit Shah said, "With our friendly nation Nepal, coordination, collaboration and cooperation, have increased... Daily 7000 trucks go to and fro here.

And 14 per cent of India-Nepal trade takes place through the Land Port Authority post." Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving adequate importance to border areas, Shah said, "Earlier, no one worried about the infrastructure development at the borders, after PM Modi came, border areas were looked after and now the last villages of India are made the first villages of India.

All problems of connectivity have been solved and welfare schemes have reached the villages." On curbing illegal trade in recent years, Amit Shah said, "Earlier, trade through land borders was impossible. Most trade was illegal. But now legal trade has increased and illegal trade has gone down...People-to-people connections have gotten stronger with our neighbouring nations...Land Port Authority is a one-stop solution..."

Speaking about the security forces who man the border areas as well as facilitate cultural exchange with the neigbouring countries, the Union Home Minister said, "Today, we have built accommodation for the security forces at Jogbani which cost a total of Rs 27 crores by the Land Ports Authority...Our security forces are working to provide security as well as facilitating cultural trade with our neigbouring countries- Nepal and Bhutan."

Highlighting the work done by the security forces, Shah said, "After the 1962 war, our border security forces have not only secured the borders, but they have connected the villages of the border area with India. Border security forces also work to facilitate the schemes started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by working closely with the district officials."

Earlier in the day, Amit Shah said that the Opposition named its alliance as INDIA as the old name UPA was associated with scams and corruption.

"They have made a new alliance with a new name. They worked with the name of UPA and indulged in corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crores. Lalu Yadav did corruption worth crores while he was the Railway Minister. They changed their name because they could not come back with the name UPA, hence they had to come up with INDI Alliance," Shah said at a public meeting in Bihar's Jhanjharpur.