Tripura open to investment
from B’desh
The ruling Left Front government in Tripura is ready
to accept investment from
Bangladesh
. This has been stated by Chief Minister Manik Sarkar. The Chief Minister
opined that
India
and
Bangladesh
are natural partners in development.
In an interview with a news agency the Tripura Chief
Minister stressed that “We must welcome investment from Bangladesh,”
Earlier Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her
government’s readiness to set up joint ventures in India’s North-East
during a visit to the state recently.
“
India
and
Bangladesh
are natural partners. Both nations are interlinked and co-dependent. The
two neighbours must share their resources and advantages,” he added.
Hasina expressed her government’s readiness to set
up power plants in Northeast and boost trade with
India
,
Nepal
and
Bhutan
. She said
Bangladesh
would allow
India
to use
Chittagong
and Mongla sea ports as it wanted to improve all types of communication
facilities with the adjoining countries to further improve the trade and
commerce and people-to-people relations.
Ties between the two countries have shown steady
improvement as political and economic engagements between
New Delhi
and
Dhaka
have gathered pace. Recent reports said imports, especially textiles and
raw jute, from
Bangladesh
had gone up 85 per cent to nearly $300 million during April-September last
year.
Hasina said there was a huge potential of Indian
investment in
Bangladesh
in IT, power and healthcare. “Political will is there to carry forward
the bilateral ties and the business community of both sides must strive to
catch the opportunities,” she said during the visit.
Sarkar said
India
and
Bangladesh
should share their wealth and resources for the benefit of the people.
“I already told Hasina that the Tripura government is ready to give 100
MW (from its share) from the upcoming 726-MW Palatana power project, being
commissioned by the ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) in southern
Tripura,” said Sarkar.
The 63-year-old Communist leader also asked the
Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to be more
generous towards
Bangladesh
and its issues. “Mountainous North-Eastern region needs transit route
via
Bangladesh
for ferrying men, material and heavy machinery. The region has abundant
natural resources like oil, gas and coal, these have to be exploited in
the interest of the region and
Bangladesh
,” Sarkar said.
The North-Eastern states are surrounded by
Bangladesh
,
Myanmar
,
Bhutan
and
China
on three sides and the only land route access to these states from within
India
is through West Bengal-Assam. But this surface route passes through hilly
terrain with steep roads and multiple hairpin bends that make transporting
goods very difficult.
“It would be better if there is no border fencing,
erected by
India
along the 4,095-km border with
Bangladesh
. In view of terrorism and due to other compulsions,
India
has to put up the fencing to check trans-border movement of militants,
prevent infiltration and check border crimes,” Sarkar added.
Sarkar also urged the Indian government to simplify
the visa procedures for
Bangladesh
citizens to visit
India
for medical treatment, education, business and travel.
“
New Delhi
and
Dhaka
must speed up implementation of those agreements already settled and
resolve those pending issues with utmost priority,” he said, adding that
the situation is changing and people’s aspirations are also shifting in
view of globalisation.
Regarding sheltering of northeast
India
’s militants in
Bangladesh
, he said, “Once Dhaka was not accepting
India
’s claim. Now they (
Bangladesh
government) have realised and is taking action against the extremists
taking refuge in that country.
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