Indian traders to go to Tibet for border trade on June 26
Indian traders to go to Tibet for border trade on June 26
B.D.Kasniyal
Pithoragarh, June 23
The first batch of 26 Indian traders, will enter into Chinese territory of Tibet from Lipulekh pass likely on 26th of this month as they have been issued trade passes after 6 years of break.
“We have issued 26 trade passes, including 17 traders and 9 helpers for the trade via Lipulekh pass and has opened custom office at Gunji, and hope the first batch of Indian traders will reach Tibet likely on 26th June as the traders have already stored their goods in godowns at villages near Lipulekh pass,”said Ashish Joshi, trade officer and SDM, Dharchula.
According to the trade officer over 103 traders have applied for the trade passes and administration is considering issuing trade passes to second batch of 25 traders soon.
According to the trade officer, on demand of traders, a spot has been selected near Nabhidhang for mules and horses, to ferry the goods up to Lipulekh pass from there. “These mules and horses will ferry goods up to Lipulekh pass, which is nearly 600 meters distance from the spot,” said the trade officer.
The Indo- China border trade resumed in 1991 and closed in 2020 due to Covid epidemic and has again been permitted from this year. “On reaching Tibetan mart, we will have first to see the condition of our stored goods for past 6 years only then we would demand some relief package from our government to help the Indian traders from recovering losses suffered due to stored goods for 6 years getting decayed and unsellable, ” Jeewan Singh Rongkali, president of Bharat -Cheen Vyapar Samiti at Dharchula.
