Agartala, May 17 (ANI): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram today unveiled the foundation stone for the construction of an Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Agartala.
The setting up of ICPs along India's internal border is a major initiative, which the Government of India has taken as part of a Plan scheme with an initial outlay of Rs. 635 crores during the 11th Five Year Plan.
The estimated cost of Agartala ICP Project is Rs. 73.50 crore. Rs. 42.17 crore has been approved for the civil construction of this ICP. The schedule for the completion of the project is around 14 months. The project is likely to be completed by July, 2012.
The department of border management has finalized the detailed project reports for all the 13 ICPs to be initially set up on the borders between India and Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Myanmar.
The construction work of ICPs at Attari on the Indo-Pakistan border, Raxaul and Jogbani on the Indo-Nepal border has already started.
The ICPs are envisaged to overcome the infrastructural bottlenecks at the various entry and exit points on the land borders of the country.
They are expected to provide facilities for the effective and efficient discharge of sovereign functions such as security, immigration, customs, quarantine, etc. while also providing support facilities for smooth cross-border movement of persons, goods and transport.
The Land Ports Authority of India Act, 2010 has been notified in the Official Gazette on 1st September, 2010. It will be functional very shortly. This body will be vested with powers on the lines of similar bodies like the Airports Authority of India. LPAI has been envisaged as a statutory body for the planning, construction, maintenance and management of these ICPs.
Till the LPAI comes into existence, an Empowered Steering Committee has been constituted under the Secretary (Border Management) to undertake the functions that will be ultimately discharged by the LPAI.
Government of Bangladesh has also been apprised to create similar infrastructure and facilities to bring about proper synergy. (ANI)
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