M A I N   N E W S

Chidambaram lays foundation of checkpost on B’desh border
Subhrangshu Gupta
Tribune News Service

Kolkata, August 27
Home Minister P Chidambaram today laid the foundation of the integrated checkpost at the Indo-Bangladesh border area in Petrapol under North 24-Parganas district. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and officials of Bangladesh, including home minister Sahara Khatun, were also present on the occasion.

The Rs 172-crore checkpost will be completed within 17 months’ time. It was yet another step for strengthening the country’s relation with Bangladesh, said Chidambaram.

The Home Minister hoped that with the opening of the checkpost at Petrapol, the flow of the passengers and the goods traffic between the two countries would increase, which would benefit both the nations. He announced 17 similar checkposts to be built in the states bordering Bangladesh.

Mamata, who will be accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka on September 6, expressed hope that during talks with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, all the pending problems between the two countries would be sorted out.

The Chief Minister said she would urge upon them to take necessary steps so that the passenger train services between the two countries could be resumed without any delay.

100 days of MAMATA as CM