As trade resumed through land ports along the Bangladesh border, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday inaugurated a passenger terminal building and a friendship gate “Maitri Dwar” at Petrapole in North 24 Parganas district on Sunday.
The Maitri Dwar (friendship gate) is a joint cargo gate at the Zero Line agreed upon by both countries. The Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) has established the new, common second cargo gate named Maitri Dwar in response to the daily cross-border traffic.
Speaking at the inauguration, Shah claimed that in 2016-17, soon after the BJP came to power at the Centre, trade of Rs 18,000 crore was carried out through Petrapole land port. “That amount has exceeded Rs 30,000 crore in 2023-24,” he added.
The new passenger terminal building and the Maitri Dwar has been built at a cost of Rs 487 crore by the LPAI. Shah emphasised that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the LPAI is working on the mantra of “4 Ps — prosperity, peace, partnership, and progress.”
“PM Narendra Modi has also transformed the concept of the LPAI. It was previously seen merely as a means of trade, but now it has become a gateway to prosperity and peace, playing a significant role in connecting with neighbouring nations, promoting legal trade to curb illegal trade, and contributing to the creation of a prosperous nation.”
The terminal building is spread across nearly 60,000 sq m and has a capacity to handle 25,000 passengers daily, he said, adding that this will boost medical and educational tourism. “Petrapole is the largest and busiest land port in South Asia, which enhances our trade and movement. Around 70% of the total trade between India and Bangladesh through land routes occurs via Petrapole,” he said.
“Improved transportation will increase trade. People-to-people contact will also increase and LPAI is working towards that. Immigration, customs and border security have been brought under one roof,” he said, adding that 23 new land ports will also be set up across the country in addition to the existing 12.
He said LPAI has been playing a significant role in connecting with neighbours in promoting legal trade, and facilitating exchange of language, culture and literature. “The Modi government has worked not only to secure the borders but also to connect them with development,” he said.
Responding to Amit Shah’s accusations on infiltration, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, “Infiltration is a problem at the international border, which is being guarded by the BSF under his ministry. Therefore, if infiltration is an issue, it is a failure of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the central agencies responsible for border protection.”
Ghosh said Shah is viewed in Bengal as a “political tourist” who has little influence on local politics. “He often comes before elections and makes tall claims, but poll results speak a different story,” the TMC leader said.