As per report after a gap of over two months, bilateral trade has finally resumed through Petrapole Integrated Check Post at the India-Bangladesh border.West bengal resumed bilateral trade with neighbouring bangladesh through the Petrapole Integrated Check Post (ICP) in North 24 Parganas district on Sunday."We are allowing bilateral trade to resume through the Petrapole ICP and all necessary safety protocol will be followed." shankar Adhya, the outgoing chairman of Bongaon Municipality said.
The Land Port Authority of india had given a letter to the district magistrate on sunday, requesting the movement of stranded trucks near Petrapole. "A pool of 100 local truck drivers will be allowed to go only up to 500 metres within the bangladesh port area and return after unloading goods. We are trying to find a healthy solution so that our drivers, who will be leaving from india, are safe. They're our responsibility," shankar Adhya said.Another official said that trade will be allowed for 12 hours daily.However, the drivers who will be going to bangladesh for unloading goods will be given PPE kits, hand gloves and masks by the BGTA Welfare Association, employers' association, and workers' association for their safety. Empty trucks will have to be sanitised, too," shankar Adhya added.
The Petrapole Check Post was reopened on april 30, over a month after being closed due to lockdown.However, four days after resuming operations, India's biggest land port again shut down on May 2 following protests by Trinamool Congress-backed labour unions and villagers over the spread of coronavirus through Bangladeshi labourers to indian drivers and helpers. All Bangladesh-bound vehicles stranded in and around the Petrapole check post, around 80-km from kolkata, will be cleared by june 14.Petrapole Land Port Authority of india manager Suvajit Mandal said that adequate safety measures had been adopted.
