Upcoming ICP at Wagah will be fully operational after some months: Official

Amritsar, Feb.11 (ANI): A senior Customs official has said that an upcoming integrated check post (ICP) at the Wagah border still needs further improvements and he expects it to be fully operational in the coming months.

There were reports in the media that the ICP would be thrown open on February 13 this year, since Pakistan is ready to open the new gate to accelerate trade activities with India.

P.S. Pruthi, Chief Commissioner of Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax, Chandigarh, however, said there was no official information about the inauguration, and added that both countries were expecting to enhance bilateral trade as soon as the ICP is fully operational.

Experts opine that with the new Integrated Check Post at Wagah, there is a feeling that it should be connected to dedicated freight corridor after it is extended to Amritsar.

Suneet Kochhar, Director Khanna Papers Limited and Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Amritsar Zonal Council, told ANI that the success of the ICP depends on various upcoming facilities.

He pointed that there is need for connecting the ICP to the dedicated freight corridor.ochhar demanded the construction of a fully developed railway siding at the Attari Railway Station, inclusive of storage space and other facilities. he also called for opening a new railway route for containerized movement to all international land ports.

Experts feel that the dedicated freight corridor would not only make for a successful gateway to Pakistan, but would also boost trade prospects with Afghanistan, Bandar Abbas in Iran and St. Petersburg in Russia. By Ravinder Singh Robin (ANI)