India and Bhutan have agreed to accelerate the development of cross-border infrastructure, including the creation of an integrated check post at Jaigaon-Phuentsholing and rail links connecting Kokrajhar-Gelephu and Banarhat-Samtse, according to a statement from the commerce ministry on Friday.
Discussions also included opening additional routes for the import of areca nuts into India via the Hatisar and Darranga land customs stations (LCS). Another key point was the inclusion of the Darranga LCS as an entry point for food items from Bhutan to India.
India has also committed to notifying the Samrang LCS after necessary infrastructure is upgraded. The potential for notifying the Jaigaon LCS for importing scrap from Bhutan was also considered.
Both sides explored establishing haats (local markets) along the India-Bhutan border, facilitating the movement of businesspersons, and the import of boulders and additional timber species from Bhutan to India.
They also discussed the deployment of personnel for phyto-quarantine inspection services (PQIS) at the Darranga LCS, and the early implementation of an agreement recognizing Bhutan’s Food and Drug Authority (BFDA) by India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI), signed in March 2024.
Further discussions included finalizing agreements between Bhutan’s National Seed Centre and India’s Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited for fertilizer supplies.
The meeting highlighted the progress in trade, connectivity, and investment partnerships between the two nations, including the recent signing of a bilateral MoU for the supply of petroleum, oil, and lubricants (POL) from India to Bhutan.
Both nations reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing trade, improving connectivity, and facilitating the movement of goods and people across the border, agreeing to hold the next CSLM meeting in India at a mutually convenient date.
