Work starts on ICP between India and Bangladesh

Home Minister, P Chidamabaram on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for construction of an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Agartala. The ceremony was attended by the Chief Minister of Tripura, Shri Manik Sarkar and the High Commissioners of both India and Bangladesh.

This is one of the 13 ICPs which will be initially set up on the borders between India and Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar. The detailed project report for all the ICPs has been finalised by the Department of Border management.

The construction work for ICPs at Attari on the India-Pakistan border, and Raxaul and Jogbani on the India-Nepal border has already started.

The setting up of ICPs has an initial outlay of Rupees 635 crores during the 11th Five Year Plan. The estimated cost of Agartala ICP project is Rupees 73.50 crores. The schedule for completion of project is around 14 months which is likely to be completed by July, 2012.

These ICPs have been envisaged to overcome the infrastructural bottlenecks at various entry and exit points on the land borders of country. They are expected to provide facilities for effective and efficient discharge of functions like security, immigration, customs, quarantine etc. This is also to provide support facilities for smooth cross-border movement of people, goods and transport.