The Hindu Business Line : Centre to spend Rs 70 cr for modernisation of Moreh in Manipur

, The Union Government has decided to spend Rs 70 crore within the next one and half years for complete modernisation of the Moreh Land Custom Station in Manipur, bordering Myanmar.

Addressing a meeting of exporters, senior State Government officials and various border trade organisations here on Friday, Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, said here that the new facilities would include a fully integrated customs check post with all facilities within the next 15-18 months. He said this programme was based on a RITES study submitted a few days ago to the Government. RITES, incidentally, will also be implementing the project.

He said the State Government has been asked to identify 50 acres of land, complete the formalities, acquire it and hand it over to RITES for work to begin.

Mr Ramesh said a modern LCS at Moreh was absolutely necessary if border trade with Myanmar has to be scaled up significantly, given the potential that existed.

Moreh, opened in 1995 by the then Union Commerce Minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, has not seen much official trade in all these years, as unofficial trade is said to have touched a level of around Rs 1,200 crore annually. Official trade, involving mainly agricultural commodities, is said to be less than a pathetic Rs 10 crore.

In this context, the Minister later told newspersons that substantial increase in allocation to North Eastern States under the Border Area Development Programme was made during the 11th Plan. He said Rs 407 crore was allocated during the 10th Plan period under BADP out of which Rs 330 crore has already been released.

On the Imphal-Mandalay bus service (a distance of over 600 km), Mr Ramesh said it would be taken up at the next round of talks with Myanmar government to be held soon.

The Minister also assured marketing back up for the State Government in selling its raw silk production, under a Rs 490-crore on-going JBIC-aided project (to be completed in phases) now coming up fast. He said the raw silk would be of the high quality bivoltine variety, currently being imported from China to the tune of 10,000 tonnes annually.

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