India, Nepal PMs to inaugurate state's first land port today

BAHRAICH: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Pushpa Dahal Kamal will virtually inaugurate UP's first land port, developed at around 184 km from Lucknow on Rupaidiha border in Bahraich, on Thursday.
The integrated check post, housing all regulatory and support functions under one roof, has been established with a cost of Rs 200 crore.
With the facility becoming operational, the coordination between agencies of the two countries will get better and result in quick disposal of the requests of the truckers, transporters and tourists.
"It will facilitate ease of doing business for traders of both the countries," said officials. The inaugural programme will be broadcast live, said AP Singh of Land Port Authority of India.
The SSB will take over the command of security from June 2.
SSB Commandant Tapan Das said that there are enough troops to protect the land port and CCTV cameras have also been installed around the port.
As per the directorate general of commercial intelligence and statistics, the Rupaidiha border facilitates annual trade amounting to Rs 8,500 crore between the two countries with exports accounting for 95% of the trade value.
The volume of trade is expected to go up significantly as it is estimated that the number of trucks that pass through the land port on a daily basis will go up from the current 200 to at least 300.
The work at the land port has been underway for almost two years.