AGARTALA, December 6 (TIWN): Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju inaugurated the Cargo Complex at India's second international-standard multi-purpose Integrated Check Post (ICP) and the first along the Bangladesh border at Akhaurah, here today. The Union Minister was accompanied by Member of Parliament Jitendra Choudhury, Minister for Revenue Badal Choudhury and other high level officials were present in the inaugural ceremony.While addressing in the inaugural ceremony Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said that trade and movement of people between Bangladesh and northeastern states are increasing every year and this would further increase in the upcoming days.The multi-use ICPs are boosting trade and economy between India's northeastern states and Bangladesh and make available various facilities among the trans-border passengers and traders, he added.Akhaura land customs station (LCS) is the second biggest land port along the Bangladesh border after the Petrapole-Benapole check post in West Bengal.

 It is one of the most important international trading land ports in eastern India, with an average of 200 Bangladeshi trucks loaded with goods entering Tripura every day.

"Over 98 percent of northeastern states' boundaries are international boundaries. Based on this scope, the northeast region would be made a trading and commercial hub of Southeast Asia," he said after inaugurating the cargo complex of the integrated checkpost in Agartala along the Bangladesh border.

"In the first phase, seven ICPs are being set up at Raxaul and Jogbani (in Bihar) along the Nepal border, Attari (in Punjab) along the Pakistan border, Moreh (Manipur) along the border with Myanmar and Akhaurah (in Tripura), Dawki (in Meghalaya) and Petrapole (in West Bengal) along the border with Bangladesh," said an official report.

"The ICPs are being commissioned to secure India's borders against interests hostile to the country and to put in place systems to interdict such elements while facilitating legitimate trade and commerce as a part of an overall strategy for improved border management," the report said.

Like the Airports Authority of India, the central government had set up the LPAI in 2010 to supervise construction work, maintenance and control of the ICPs.