SHILLONG, May 24 – After stopping coal export to the neighbouring country of Bangladesh from Meghalaya for 22 days, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday allowed ‘safe passage’ to coal-laden trucks to ply on the road along the international border at Borsora in the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The BSF had ostensibly suspended traffic movement along the border road on security concerns, thereby bringing about a complete halt to the export of coal to Bangladesh from the state. Coal exporters, however, described the move as an example of the alleged “highhandedness” resorted to by the BSF, which had “forcefully” suspended movement of traffic on the vital border road.
Commissioner of Customs, North Eastern Region, DD Ingty informed reporters that export along the Borsora border was restored on Thursday. Disruption of traffic movement on the border road by the BSF had “severely affected” export of coal to Bangladesh over the last three weeks bringing business along the Customs point to a grinding halt, he said. The BSF had laid siege to a stretch of the Public Works Department road and stopped trucks from plying on the road, on the pretext of security along the porous international border.
Since the disruption of business at Borsora the Customs Department had intervened to initiate a dialogue with the Commanding Officer of the BSF in that area, persuading the force to restore traffic, Ingty said. With the BSF finally agreeing to allow the coal-laden trucks to ply along the international border again, the Customs Superintendent at Borsora Land Customs Station (LCS) escorted all the stranded trucks to the point of export, he said.
Incidentally, the road that was blocked is under the State PWD with the BSF having no jurisdiction over it at all by virtue of possession, maintenance or manoeuvring. Exporters Association had lodged a formal complaint with the Union Home Ministry and Director General of the BSF, Ajai Raj Sharma against the border force which had ‘forcefully’ stopped plying of coal-laden trucks on a public road along the international border with Bangladesh since April 28 last.
The average loss of foreign exchange due to the “forceful closure” of the road to coal-laden trucks is between US $ 52,000 and $ 55,000 everyday. Moreover, large consignments of limestone also could not be exported to Bangladesh through the land port, the letter of complaint revealed.
On an average, 250 trucks ferry coal to Bangladesh through the Borsora Land Customs Station everyday. Officials of the BSF’s 17th Battalion allegedly closed the export route on April 28 last as the exporters could not comply with the former’s “diktat” to repair a stretch of 1200 yards of a road close to the Indo-Bangla border.