AGARTALA, January 17 (TIWN): The first border 'haat', or market, along the Tripura-Bangladesh frontier at Srinagar in south district of the state will start its journey from January 20, said DM & Collector of South Tripura District, Belonia Debasish Basu.

Taking to TIWN today, DM & Collector of South Tripura District, Belonia Debasish Basu said the first border haat of the state will start its journey from January 20. Business in the 'haat' would take place once a week among the people living within 5 km radius of the border who would sell and buy locally produced goods and crops, he mentioned.

No local taxes would be imposed on the items to be sold in the haats and currencies of both the countries would be accepted, DM informed.

Initially, 16 items were shortlisted which include agricultural and horticultural crops, spices, minor forest products excluding timber, fish and dry fish, dairy and poultry products, cottage industry items, wooden furniture, handloom and handicraft items, he added.

He said the border haat area at Srinagar and the roads on Indian side were constructed by India at a cost of Rs 2.4 crore.

These markets are set up at the zero line of the international border with one part on the Indian side and the other in Bangladesh.

It is to be mentioned here that the first border 'haat', or market, along the Tripura-Bangladesh frontier was jointly inaugurated by Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce & Industry Nirmala Sitharaman and her Bangladeshi counterpart Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed at Srinagar in south district of the state on January 13 last.

Two border haat were set up in 2012 on Meghalaya-Bangladesh border - Kalaichar (India)-Baliamari (Bangladesh) and Dalora (Bangladesh)-Balat (India).

India and Bangladesh share 4,096-km border along West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Assam (263 km), Meghalaya (443 km) and Mizoram (318 km). The two neighbours have 2,979 km of land border and 1,116 km of river line boundaries.