Five ICPs on Indian borders with Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan completed

New Delhi, Nov 9 (IANS) The Union Home Ministry on Friday said that five of the seven approved Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at five Indian border crossing points being shared with Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan have been completed.

"Terminals for smooth movement of goods and people at ICP Raxaul and Jogbani on India-Nepal border, ICP Petrapole and Agartala on India-Bangladesh border and ICP Attari on India-Pakistan border have been made functional. Work on ICP Moreh on India-Myanmar border and ICP Dawki on Bangladesh border is in advanced stage of completion," said a Home Ministry statement. 

The Ministry said facilities have been constructed for customs clearance, Immigration, warehouses for storage of goods, approach roads and terminal buildings to adequately handle import and export of goods and entry and exit of people at each ICP. 

The information was shared after the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day reviewed the progress of ongoing ICP projects being executed by the Land Ports Authority of India and the Border Management Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The total approved expenditure for the seven ICPs is more than Rs 700 crore.

Expressing satisfaction at the progress of work, Rajnath Singh directed the officials to complete the pending works quickly. 

He asked the officials concerned to take up construction of additional 13 ICPs at Hili, Jaigaon, Ghojadanga, Mahadipur, Changrabandha, Fulbari, Rupaidiha, Kawrpuichhuah, Panitanki, Sutarkandi, Sunauli, Banbasa and Bhithamore, and passenger terminal at Petrapole.

"Under the Border Management Division, projects have been taken up for construction of 18 coastal border outposts (BOPs)in Gujarat and improvement of border floodlighting in Punjab and Rajasthan. Some floating BOPs have also been approved in Gujarat and West Bengal.

"Some projects which have been pending due to issues related to acquisition of land have resumed following Rajnath Singh's letters to governments of West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Tripura and Bihar. Projects under the Border Area Development Programme to improve road and mobile connectivity in the border villages as well as imparting skills to the people living there have also made good progress," said the statement. 

To improve coastal security, 121 coastal police stations have been operationalised, 30 jetties have been constructed and biometric cards have been issued to 18.5 lakh fishermen, it said. 

The Home Minister expressed satisfaction that the newly established National Academy of Coastal Policing has started functioning at Okha, Gujarat.