Agartala, Nov 4 (UNI) The Sepahijala district administration in West Tripura enforced restriction of entry of buyers and sellers, residing beyond 5 kilometres, in the border haat at Tarapur of Kamalasagar, to prevent hoarding of consumer goods by a section of traders.
The reinforcement of the decision has been taken in a recent meeting of border haat committee of both the countries after getting complaints from the local residents. As per the border haat agreement, the buyers and sellers of nearby areas are allowed to access the market but it was not followed in the past years.
“We have to notify the decision in pursuant to the agreement, as it has been flouted and local people are complaining against the entry of outsiders. The administration has allowed altogether 1000 buyers and vendors of the locality in the haat now, as mandated,” said DM Sepahijala, Dr Brahmneet Kaur.
According to reports, a large number of businessmen from the distant cities have been procuring goods from the haat and selling it out in the open market at high prices. The villagers in the area could not buy even small amounts of goods because of the big players.
“The items like sugar and cosmetics of India and packaged food, dry fish, Hilsa fish, plastic goods of Bangladesh are largely procured by the big businessmen of both the countries. As a result, the consumers of the locality could not get the benefit of the haats,” said a senior official of the administration.
The Srinagar border haat of South Tripura is also facing the same problem of hoarding, mostly Hilsa fish of Bangladesh, the official said. Open access to border haat becomes a potential market for smuggling the consumer goods and contraband items and the administration was forced to restrict the entry, the official added.
Meanwhile, the business groups criticised the administrative action and argued that the decision could be the death knell for the market which was gaining immense popularity among the visitors from both the countries since its establishment in June 2015.
Many people, whose relatives are residing in the other part of the border, made it a meeting spot avoiding the hassles of passport and visa, which administration is considering a threat to the security of the country.
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