The first trial consignment from Kolkata Port has reached Tripura via Bangladesh waterways on Tuesday, which is now onwards to Silchar of South Assam by road.
Industries and Commerce Minister of Tripura Santana Chakma accompanied by Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhowmik had welcomed the cargo at Srimantapur Land Customs Station of Sonamura in Sepahijala district along with the top officials of both the countries.
Santana said a Silchar bound cargo truck carrying 270 cartoons of 6000 kg goods entered Tripura from Haldia port of West Bengal. The consignment was transshipped to Mongla Port – the second largest and busiest seaport of Bangladesh in Khulna and then took surface road to enter India via Srimantapur covering 300 kilometres distance on plain.
The shipment started its journey on August 5 from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port and took a week to reach at Mongla and thereafter it was loaded in the vehicle to reach the check post by Bangladeshi trucks, Tripura minister said.
She attributed, “This is an experimental cargo movement from Kolkata to Srimantapur via Mongla Port, which has created a new scope for transportation of consignments. Once it’s become operational, this will be the easiest route for North-eastern states. The travel distance between Kolkata and Agartala by a highly mountainous road via Guwahati is 1650 kilometers but, on Bangladesh waterways it is only 620 kilometres.”
However, land port authority officials here said that the Ministry of Shipping will review the success
of the trial run and bring corrections in between if required and prepare a final report for cargo movement in discussion with its Bangladesh counterpart to begin commercial deals.
Meanwhile, appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union minister of state Bhoumik said central government is very keen to establish fast transportation and transhipment facilities using the roads and waterways of Bangladesh and that will be highly beneficial for both the countries.
“While transportation cost, travel time and damage of goods during transportation will be reduced for India in sending consignment to the northeast, Bangladesh will earn revenue from the cargo handling and transportation of shipments to land custom stations,” Bhoumik pointed out.
India and Bangladesh had signed an agreement for the transshipment of goods to North Eastern states by using Chittagong and Mongla Ports in Bangladesh in 2015. Thereafter, the first trial run was done using the Chattogram post in July 2020 and This is the second trial run as per the agreement.
