India-Bangladesh trade at the Kalaichar Border Haat in Meghalaya has registered a six-fold jump in volumes since the rural market was inaugurated three weeks ago and authorities are now contemplating whether it can be made more popular by relaxing certain restrictions.
Despite incessant rain, the weekly Haat in West Garo Hills district fetched Indian vendors 1,69,090 takas (Bangladeshi currency) and Rs 7,000 on the third day of the Haat yesterday, Deputy Commissioner Mr Sanjay Goyal told PTI.
The second day of the Haat on July 31 resulted in transactions worth 28,000 takas, an over five-fold leap vis-a-vis the transaction value of 5,100 takas on the first day.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Mr Anand Sharma and his Bangladeshi counterpart Mr M Faruk Khan on July 23 jointly inaugurated the first Border Haat at Kalaichar, which operates every Wednesday.
Yesterday’s Haat was attended by 24 vendors and 42 buyers from the Indian side and 14 vendors and 261 buyers from the Bangladesh side.
Indians brought ginger, betel nut, bananas and lemons, besides spices like black pepper, for sale at the Haat, while items like vegetables, sugarcane and cotton garments were on offer from the Bangladesh side.
Meanwhile, the Union Commerce Ministry has sought a report from the state government on whether the restrictions on selling goods produced beyond 5 km from the area have resulted in limited transactions, Mr Goyal said.
According to the rules, goods produced beyond 5 km from the Haat cannot be sold in the Haat, the first to be revived along the Indo-Bangladesh border since Partition.
Its full potential could not be realised till the format was relaxed, Mr Goyal said, adding he had written to the state government asking it to take steps in this direction.
“The area near the Haat on both sides of the border is underdeveloped. You do not find factories, industries in these places. These areas cannot generate an economy to sustain a Haat. The scope of the goods gets limited to some agricultural products,” Mr Goyal said.
According to officials, Bangladeshi traders brought goods like garments and melamine produced beyond the 5 km limit to the Haat, but were not allowed to sell them, officials said.
Bangladesh and India have agreed to set up a number of Border Haats, which, if opened, are expected to witness bilateral trade worth $20 million every year.