Tripura Govt. to develop Akhaura border on the lines of famous Attari-Wagah border

The Tripura Government, in a bid to promote tourism in the region, will be developing the India-Bangladesh Akhaura border on the lines of Punjab’s famed Attari-Wagah border. The border spot will be used for regular drills similar to that of the Indo-Pak border.
Tripura Chief Minister, while talking to the press, said that beside developing state-of-the-art facilities at the Akhaura Border, steps will be taken to focus on other tourism-related projects. He further said, “We will also develop famous Hindu temple Tripura Sundari on the lines of Vaishno Devi and Kamkhya Devi and undertake four-laning of beautiful roads which at every km will have shops of local arts and crafts.”

Reportedly, a budget of INR 90 crore has been allotted to build up facilities like stadiums, where people from this side of the border can gather and witness the half-an-hour programme. As per the sources, India will also be investing INR 250 crore in building a 15 km railway track connecting the capital of Tripura, Agartala with Akhaura. Of the 15 km rail track, 5 km of the track will be on the Indian territory while the remaining will fall in Bangladesh. Referring to this, the CM said, “The new rail link in another two years will promote tourism from across the borders.”
A government official posted at the border said, “Almost 100 people visit here every day. Most of them are locals and State guests unlike the Wagah side in Amritsar where the event is a major tourist attraction and tourism destination. A similar facility will be developed at this point to attract more visitors which will add on to the Tripura tourism. Both the Centre and State in coordination will work on this INR 90 crore project.”

Currently, other tourist hotspots that attract visitors to this region are Ujjayanta Mahal and Museum, Neer Mahal and also the border stretch, which keeps bustling with activities of people from both sides of the border. A shopping arcade will also be developed by the government to ensure people from Bangladesh do not get entry into the capital city.