3rd Dec 2020 12:12:AM State
Eastern Sentinel Arunachal News

ITANAGAR, Dec 2: Minister, Commerce and Industries Tumke Bagra participated in the 2nd national level consultative meeting of the Board of Trade (BoT) which was conducted today through a virtual mode, chaired by the Union Minister of Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal wherein he placed before his Central counterpart a slew of proposals for promotion of trade, commerce and exports in Arunachal Pradesh.
Union State Minister for Commerce & Industries Hardeep Singh Puri, Secretary Commerce and Ministers of Commerce & Industries from various States/UTs along with the senior officers of both Central and State governments participated in the virtual meeting. Bagra was accompanied by Secretary, Commerce & Industries Hage Tari and Director, Trade & Commerce, GoAP Tokong Pertin.
While stating that Arunachal has remained largely isolated from the rest of the country in terms of participation in trading and commercial activities and has not been able to attract investors or produce skilled labour and entrepreneurial resources, Bagra drew attention of the Central Ministers regarding its inherent potentialities. Starting his deliberations with organic farming, he said although agriculture plays a vital role in the state’s economy, activities thereto have been limited only to the stage of self-consumption and agripreneurship has not been taken up in a big scale. Detailing on the state’s organic potential he informed that the State Department of Agriculture has launched the ambitious State Organic Mission on April 15, 2017 with a vision for transforming Arunachal Pradesh into a complete Organic State. An Action Plan with a target to convert 100,000 hectares into organic land by 2022 has been worked out and the proposal has also been submitted to the Central government which is awaiting approval, he informed.
Reiterating the need for formulation of an appropriate State Export Strategy, Bagra said so far much headway has not been possible due to the infra constraints in terms of surface, air, telecommunication, power, banking facility and poor technology intervention. Inclusion of Pangsau Pass Land Customs Station in Nampong notified way back in 1951 needs to be included in the Bilateral Trade Agreement between India and Myanmar, he added. While acknowledging the bottlenecks, the Industry Minister highlighted the infrastructure development works currently underway in the state under the Prime Minister’s Special Package such as Trans Arunachal Highway, District connectivity and National Highway. Informing that the state is initiating for formulating a comprehensive Export Strategy, he proposed the Central Ministers to appoint a Consultant Firm/Agency to undertake a study for framing of the said Export Strategy along with sanction of the required fund. Need for establishment of a Camp Office of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade in the state for dissemination of information and for fast-tracking the pro-active measures like awareness campaign on export/import documentation was also reiterated.

While elaborating on the constraints faced by the state in terms of logistics, gaps in export infrastructure including testing and certification and streamlining of regulatory processes, Bagra highlighted the export potential of organic kiwi, apple, oranges, honey, large cardamoms, pineapples, pears, medicinal herbs, tea and other organic agro-horti produces etc. and its rich textiles, handloom and handicrafts products. To tap the potential, he stressed on the need for preparing comprehensive DPRs, massive investment in infrastructure development, establishment of Camp Offices of Export Promotion Councils like FIEO, SHELLAC for creating awareness and handholding of entrepreneurs. Issues such as Single-Point Clearance Facilities for testing, inspection, certification in the state was also raised.
Drawing reference to the Act East Policy, Bagra said its true realisation will only be possible through a phased re-opening of the border trade-points of Dongshengmang-Bleeting and Bumla-Kenzamane in Tawang, Taksing in Upper Subansiri, Monigong-Mechukha in West Siang, Gelling in Upper Siang and Kibithoo in Anjaw district. “Frequent trade delegations may be undertaken from the North Eastern Region involving trade-bodies like Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), North East Federation on International Trade (NEFIT) etc. to ASEAN nations to help in establishing people-to-people contact and help in exploring to establish new markets to harness the Act East Policy in a more meaningful way,” he said. Seeking Central intervention to check abrupt fluctuation of rates of commodities like large cardamom, ginger, tea, raw rubber which discourages the farmers, the Industry Minister informed that as on November 30, 2017, no customs officials have been posted at LCS Nampong, although the State government has created the basic minimum infrastructure at Nampong (Pangsau Pass).
The other demands placed by the Industry Minister were establishment of an export-oriented Industrial Park in the state capital for providing infrastructure support to cane and bamboo based industries with export orientation through private entrepreneurship and also establishment of a Spice Park at Namsai under the assistance from TIES.  Need for establishment of a Common Facility Centre for storage and marketing of large cardamom and other agro-horti products at ALGs at Tezu and Pasighat and at proposed Greenfield Airport at Hollongi, alongwith establishment of extension & marketing facilities at Siliguri, West Bengal was also voiced by the Minister.  Central assistance through sanctioning of consultancy firms for undertaking study for establishing an Industrial Corridor along the Trans-Arunachal Highway with state-of-the art cold chain, processing and marketing infrastructure on cluster based industries was also sought, along with the proposal for setting up of Inter-State Integrated Domestic Trade Centres in feasible inter-state boundary towns.
Referring to the now discontinued Assistance to State for Developing Export Infrastructure and other Allied Activities (ASIDE) scheme, the Industry Minister said it should be revived with an appropriate new name and nomenclature under NITI Aayog to fit into the Act East Policy. Drawing attention to the guidelines of Export Development Fund for the NER, Bagra reasoned that as it is the only scheme specially designed to encourage export from the region, the present funding pattern of 30% aid should be either reverted to the original funding pattern of 100% or made in the ratio of 90:10 like any other centrally sponsored schemes implemented in the NER. Special care should be taken while considering EDF-NER schemes for Arunachal Pradesh as the state shares its borders with three international countries and is much closer to other ASEAN countries, he added.
To give thrust to exports, the Industry Minister proposed setting up of Special Economic Zones/Export Processing Zones/Agri Economic Zones at Bhalukpong in West Kameng to cater the need of East Kameng, West Kameng and Tawang districts, at Banderdewa/ Hollongi to cater the needs of Papum Pare, Lower Subansiri, Upper Subansiri, Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi districts, at Ruksin/ Pasighat to cater to East Siang, West Siang, Siang and Upper Siang districts, at Tezu for Lower Dibang Valley, Dibang Valley, Lohit and Anjaw districts and at Namsai/Changlang for Namsai, Changlang, Tirap and Longding districts.
Meanwhile, reiterating the significance of Stilwell road which passes through Pangsau Pass into Myanmar, the Minister stressed it’s early revamp since it will be much shorter and cheaper in comparison to the existing long sea routes. Necessity for construction of the road from Lumla via Tashigong (Bhutan) with special mention of the 7 Km stretch from Warongde to Khinye (Bhutan) that is remaining to be connected was also raised. “If this route can be made motorable, the people of Tawang district will get commodities at much cheaper price as journey to Guwahati via Tashigong shall be reduced by about 5 hrs compared to journey by Tezpur-Bomdila-Sela Pass,” Bagra added. 
“There is need for establishment of roadway kiosks at feasible locations along Frontier Highway (Dudungarh to Pangsau Pass via Vijaynagar), Trans-Arunachal Highway and also along the East-West Industrial Corridor (Balemu to Ruksin),” he said. Inclusion of border trade through Pangsau Pass as one of the border trade point in the bilateral Trade Agreement between India and Myanmar on priority was also a part of the state’s demand during the meeting, along with the appeal for urgent revival of the Land Customs Station in Nampong (Pangsau Pass). 


Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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