Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman pays visit to Srimantapur ICP, Sonamura

Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on a two day visit to the state,  visited the Srimantapur Integrated Check Post (ICP) and the landport station in Sonamura under Sepahijala district today. Smt Sitharaman inspected various facilities at the ICP and the jetty being constructed on Gomati river located along the India-Bangladesh border.

During her visit to the ICP, Smt Sitharaman interacted with the concerned officials on different points of issues related to the ICP, which has built up many improved facilities with a significant number of passenger movement and increasing trade recorded on daily basis between two countries. To facilitate movement of passengers and trade at the Srimantapur ICP BSF, Customs and Land Port Authority of India are working together.  

On the occasion, Smt Sitharaman also released a booklet, titled, ” Connecting Borders” featuring all functional land customs stations in the NorthEast region. Officials of different central deptts, CBIC, and Land Port Authority of India and state administration were present during her visit. On her arrival at Srimantapur, the Union Finance Minister was given guard of honour by 133 Bn of BSF.

The Finance Minister also visited the zero point along the Indo-Bangladesh border at pillar number 2083  where Border Guard Bangladesh received her with a bouquet of flowers.   Smt Sitaraman, when she was Minister of State for the Ministry of Commerce had inaugurated the Srimantapur landport station on  January 6, 2016. 

Talking about the activities in Srimantapur ICP, Yogendra Garg, Chief Commissioner of Central GST and Central Excise of North East region said that the on her visit to this ICP, the Union Finance Minister has advised the concerned officials as to how to improve facilities in the station, and she expressed satisfaction over its performance in terms of passenger and trade flow.  

Currently, the ICP is witnessing an increasing trend of passenger movement and export-import of commodities. In 2022-23, this ICP recorded 26,405 passengers coming from Bangladesh whereas the number of outgoing passengers was recorded at 25,582. The ICP recorded an increasing trend of export-import trade, reflected in its custom duty collection, standing at Rs. 17.85 crore in 2022-23.