Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route

Why in news?

• Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways received a cargo vessel of food-grains from Patna to Pandu via Bangladesh in Guwahati.
• The cargo vessel carrying 200 metric tonnes of food grains from Bihar, traversed 2350 kilometres through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route, arrived in Pandu port, Assam.

About Indo Bangladesh Protocol Route:

• Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route is an Inland Water Transit and Trade Protocol that exists between India and Bangladesh, under which inland vessels of one country can transit through the specified routes of the other country.
• The existing protocol routes are:
  • Kolkata-Pandu-Kolkata
  • Kolkata-Karimganj – Kolkata
  • Rajshahi-Dhulian-Rajshahi
  • Pandu-Karimganj-Pandu

Significance:

• It would provide the business community a viable, economic & ecological alternative.
• The cargo movement via waterways is going to play a pivotal role in energising India’s northeast as the engine of growth.
• It is in line with the Act East policy of India.
• The waterways will cut through the landlocked access which has been crippling development in the region for long.
• The waterways will not only remove this geographical hindrance, but also provide an economical, swift and convenient transportation for the businesses and people of the region.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements regarding Pandu port:

1. It is riverine port in the state of West Bengal

2. It is developed on the banks of Brahmaputra river

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither

Answer