India-China border trade set to begin, permits awaited

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 27

The biggest demand of traders for allowing livestock trade may once again remain unfulfilled during the India-China cross border trade along Shipkila Pass in the absence of a quarantine laboratory.

The trade between the two neighbours is undertaken every year from June 1 to November 30. The Doklam standoff last year had cast its shadow on the India-China trade which witnessed a drastic decline from Rs 8.59 crore in 2016 to a mere Rs 59.21 lakh in 2017.

A total of 33 traders have applied to the Trade Office to issue them passes to go inside the Tibetan region of Chine for the trade done on barter system. “Our request for setting up of a quarantine laboratory still remains unfulfilled, which will remain one of the biggest impediment in increase in volume of the trade,” said Hishey Negi, president of the Kinnaur Indo-China Trade Association.

The Kinnaur Indo-China Trade Association had requested the Union Commerce Ministry and the Trade Authority to set up a quarantine laboratory at Chupan and Namgiya to pave the way for resumption of livestock trade like chiku goats, horses and mules from this year. There is great demand for livestock on either side of the border even though its trade was banned about five years ago in the absence of a quarantine laboratory.

Though the trade is scheduled to begin from June 1 the trade passes have yet to be issued. The traders association had last year demanded that the process for issuance of trade passes should be started from April 1 so that trade can begin from June 1. Though officially the trade period is from June 1 to November 30 every year due to delay in the issuance of passes the traders are able to go to China only in August.

Negi lamented that despite land being identified for the setting up of a Trade Mart at Chuppan and Rs 2.60 crore budgetary allocation having been made there was no progress. “Since the trade is for a limited period, pre-fabricated structures must be put up to facilitate stay of traders,” he said.

The traders have also demanded that the Chinese Government be requested to construct a proper mule track from Shipkila to China Trade Centre at Shipki village in Tibet region of China. A trader can undertake a trip into China for 72 hours and can carry goods worth Rs 1 lakh though there is no limit on the number of trips he makes for trade.