Central government will soon move a proposal for a 550-km-long road along the India-Nepal border to promote trade between the two countries, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said.
The Rs.1,750-crore project would soon be introduced in the cabinet for its approval, Chidambaram said after laying the foundation stone for an integrated check post in the border area in Bihar.
The check post – the second in the country after that at Attari along the India-Pakistan border – is being built at a cost of Rs.120 crore in east Champaran district of Bihar.
The check post will be manned by the Border Security Force.
Chidambaram said the construction of the border road is aimed to “strengthen the bond of friendship between India and Nepal”.
He said this “will also create employment and help in development of the border areas”.
Three similar check posts would will be set up along the India-Nepal border, he said, adding one of these would be at Jogbani – to start shortly. The other two will be at Rupaidiha and Sunauli in Uttar Pradesh.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also present in the function.
The home minister thanked the Bihar government for facilitating the acquisition of 254 acres for the post, which is expected to be completed by June 2011.
The check post construction had triggered protests by farmers whose land was acquired.
But the home minister said: “All steps will taken to reach compensation to each of them. We will not allow injustice at any stage. We have made available Rs.22.25 crore to the state government for compensating the farmers.”
The integrated check posts are envisaged to overcome the infrastructural bottlenecks at the various entry and exit points on the country’s borders.
It is expected that such posts will provide facilities for the effective security, immigration and customs on the border while also providing support facilities for smooth cross-border movement of people, goods and transport.
A bill has been introduced in parliament for the establishment of a Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), a proposed statutory body for the planning, construction, maintenance and management of these check posts.
This body will be vested with powers on the lines of bodies like the Airports Authority of India.