India to get transit rights of Myanmar port

An understanding has been arrived at between India and Myanmar following a series of high level visits and meetings. India has got the nod from Myanmar to develop the Port also called Sittwe port in the country’s western Rakhine coast. A Cabinet Note has been circulated and a clearance is expected shortly.

Divulging this, Minister of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh described the development as most important. India would be investing USD 103 million on developing the Sittwe Port under the Kaladan multi purpose project. Mizoram will emerge as the hub and development of the Port would be of significant strategic value.

The Government of India would bear the entire cost of the construction and it would take three years to complete, Jairam Ramesh added.

The Sittwe Port is 160 km from Mizoram, is located in West Myanmar, at the mouth of the Kaladan River and on Bay of Bengal. It was an important port and rice-milling centre. Originally a small fishing village, it became a port for the export of rice after the British occupied it in 1826.

The Minister, who was addressing a daylong seminar on the ‘Look East Policy: A Reality Check’ said that Bangladesh has become stumbling block for development of the North-East. “What we need to do is a bypass surgery,” he said.

The seminar was organised jointly by North East Media Forum and NEDFi.

The Minister further stressed on opening of trading routes between the North Eastern States and the neighbouring countries. He said they have taken up the issue with the Ministry of External Affairs to actively pursue opening of more and more trade routes with Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and China during bilateral talks.

The Minister, however, advocated trade at the border rather then border trading. In this connection, he referred to the low turn over at the existing border trading posts in the region. “We should get out of the concept of border trade,” he said.

He suggested that the list should be thrown open and in its place a small negative list may be prepared.

In what is going to come as dampener for business community pressing for more and more subsidy, Ramesh said that North-East will not develop by incentives. Infrastructure led industrialisation is what it needs. We need to focus on infrastructure including road and air connectivity,” he opined.

The Minister further referred to the Rs 4,700 crore tea package announced by his Ministry. The first cycle of disbursements is going to start in June. Emphasizing the need for the tea industry to get its act together he said, India is shortly going to sign the Free Trade Agreement with the ASEAN.

He further added Pakistan, Iran and Egypt have been identified as thrust countries along with Iraq and UAE. He also announced that the international tea festival would be held on November 14 and 15 and two satellite events lined up in Darjeeling and Jorhat.

Ramesh also said that rubber was the next item that was going to bring revolution in the region. While Tripura has already made great strides, in Asom 2 lakh hectares have been identified for rubber cultivation.

The seminar spread over four sessions was addressed experts, policy makers and stake holders.

Sources: Assamtribune.com