ITANAGAR, 19 Jul: Newly elected Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) MLA Toko Tatung on Friday requested the Arunachal Pradesh government to propose to the Centre to resume border trade with neighbouring South East Asian nations for the state’s economic development.
Participating in the motion of thanks to the governor’s address delivered in the House on 15 June, Tatung highlighted the potential benefits of reopening border trade, particularly for a resource-limited state like Arunachal.
He cited the example of India-China bilateral trade, which has surpassed 100 billion dollars, and emphasised the need to revive trade with China, Myanmar, and Bhutan in alignment with the Centre’s Act East policy.
“We should move a proposal to the central government, requesting it to revive border trade with Myanmar through Pangsau Pass. If border trade is reopened, it will be beneficial for a resource-crunch state like Arunachal Pradesh,” he said.
Historically, trade between India and Myanmar had existed before independence on a small scale.
On 26 September, 1950, the two countries signed an agreement, exempting indigenous hill tribes within 40 kms of the border from passport requirements for trade purposes.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2012 aimed to establish border haats at Pangsau Pass to facilitate trade, but operations ceased due to the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020 and have not resumed since.
Tatung emphasised the importance of resuming border trades, especially in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus on Northeast’s development, asserting that it would transform the region’s economic landscape.
He called upon Arunachal’s Lok Sabha members to champion efforts to reopen border trade, underscoring its potential to stabilise the state’s economy despite its current status as a consumer rather than producer state.
“Our two Lok Sabha MPs should put all-out efforts to reopen border trade,” the lawmaker said. (PTI)