Ill-equipped LoC trade centre in Poonch a threat to security

Ravi Krishnan Khajuria & DK Sudan

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Tribune News Service

Jammu/Poonch, March 15

The trans-LoC trade between J&K and PoK via Chakan da Bagh Trade Centre in Poonch has all ingredients in place that may pose a serious security threat to the militancy-infested state.

“A defunct weighbridge, no CCTV cameras and improper X-ray machine, besides manual checking of import and export merchandise keeps the trade vulnerable to trafficking of hawala money for funding terror activities and smuggling of arms and ammunition,” said an official source.

While the full-body truck scanner is yet to be installed at the trade centre, the weighbridge remains defunct since 2012. “The weighbridge is now covered in wild growth. Overloaded trucks in violation of the prescribed load are being cleared to PoK. The unethical practice is on since 2012,” the source said.

“Furthermore, in the absence of an X-ray machine, import and export merchandise is put to manual checking. In some cases, where a trader greases the palms of officials, a mere formality of checking is performed,” the source added.

Indian traders mostly export fresh fruit to PoK.

President of the Chakan da Bagh Traders Association Pawan Anand said though the weighbridge was defunct, the PoK-bound trucks were given clearance at the trade centre on the basis of the weigh receipts issued to them in Jammu.

“Not only is the weighbridge defunct, but the trade centre also lacks CCTV cameras.”

“Four months ago, I had personally requested the Poonch Deputy Commissioner to get CCTV cameras installed to check thefts and other wrongdoings but leave aside the CCTV cameras, the authorities banned traders from carrying cellphones inside the trade centre,” said Anand.

Mohammed Tanvir Khan, custodian of the trade centre, said the issue of the defunct weighbridge had been taken up with a Pune-based company. “The company has given us an estimate. The issue is likely to be resolved soon,” he said. Tanvir said the Customs authorities at the trade centre had a small X-ray machine.

“The consignment is offloaded and then checked in small quantities. Besides manual checking, we also have sniffer dogs to check the merchandise,” he said.

He further said the work on the full-body truck scanner had not started yet, adding that a file in this context was under process with the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department (Roads and Buildings).