Six border haats to come up soon

AIZAWL: The success of border haats along international borders have prompted governments to set up more such markets to improve trade. The Centre is likely to set up four such haats in Mizoram along the border with Myanmar and two Indo-Bangla border haats are expected to become operational in Meghalaya from next month.
In Mizoram, the market is aimed at boosting local trade and livelihood of the people living there."To carry out border trade with Myanmar, the location for the construction of 'Border Haat' has been identified in four places - Hnahlan, Zote, Vaphai (Saikhumphai) and Sangau (Pangkhua) - in southeast Mizoram," Mizoram Commerce and Industries Minister R. Lalthangliana said.
Mizoram Commerce and Industries Department Director J. Hmingthanmawia said that the state government has sent the detailed proposals in this regard to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for its approval. "Once we get the green signal from the MEA, we would seek funds from the Union Industries and Commerce Ministry," Hmingthanmawia said. He added that officials of Mizoram and Myanmar governments have recently conducted a joint survey and identified the locations to set up the border haats.
Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga, during his Independence Day speech, had said that the proposed border haats would become important trade points between India and Myanmar. "Land Custom Station (LCS) at Zokhawthar, the lone trade route for Mizoram with South East Asian countries, is being proposed for upgradation. Construction of Trade Facilitation Centre at Tlabung has already been completed," the chief minister had said.
Meanwhile, two Indo-Bangla border haats will also become operational in Meghalaya by next month, state additional chief secretary Rebecca V Suchiang announced on Tuesday. "Two border haats at Bholaganj and Ryngku both in East Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya bordering Bangladesh will become operational by September while another at Nolikata in South West Khasi Hills district will become functional by December this year," Suchiang said.
CUTS International, a Jaipur based international NGO, with support from the World Bank, had conducted a study in 2016 to understand and examine the effect of border haats on poverty alleviation and other multiplier effects such as informal trade. The organisation's executive director Bipul Chatterjee said that trade will increase income, curb smuggling, and cross-border crimes will also go down. Agencies