Gangtok, May 2.TT: Trade between India and Tibet at Nathu-la that was scheduled to start from yesterday has been deferred because of heavy snowfall which has blocked the roads leading to the border pass.
The trade would begin once the snow melts.
“Officials of the departments of commerce and industries, immigration and customs in Sikkim had set out to inaugurate the trading season yesterday. But they could not proceed beyond Sherathang (45km from Gangtok) as there was massive snowfall up to Nathu-la,” said Sumita Pradhan, the deputy secretary of the commerce and industries department.
The border pass at 14,500feet is 7km from Sherathang.
“The date of reopening the trade is yet to be decided. The road beyond Sherathang is covered with snow that is around 4feet deep,” said an official of the commerce and industries department.
Yesterday the department had scheduled a welcome ceremony at Nathu-la for the traders from the Tibetan Autonomous Region. But the event could not be held because of the inclement weather.
“The upper areas of Gangtok have been receiving snow for the past two weeks,” said a policeman at the Sherathang check post.
Officials of the Met department at Gangtok said Sherathang recorded a minimum temperature of -3 degrees Celsius yesterday.
Trade between India and China resumed in 2006 after the erstwhile silk route had been shut in 1962 following a war between the two countries.
According to a bilateral agreement signed in 2006, only traders from Sikkim and the Tibetan Autonomous Region are allowed to participate in the border trade that starts from May and ends in November every year.
Ten businessmen from Sikkim, who had set out for Nathu-la yesterday, also returned from Sherathang because of bad weather.
“We wanted to meet merchants from across the border. But heavy snowfall played the spoilsport. We will wait for the snow to subside,” said Lakpa Sherpa, the general secretary of the Indo-China Border Traders’ Association.
He added that apart from the weather, the bad condition of the Gangtok-Nathu-la road was also inconveniencing the traders.
The Border Roads Organisation has taken up excavation along the road for double laning of the stretch.
“The bad road is also creating lots of problems for vehicles, especially those carrying goods. We expect good trade once the work is over,” said Pradhan.
District collector (East) D. Ananadan said 361 applications seeking trade passes for Nathu-la had been received this year and till now 50, applications had been cleared.
He added that 34 traders from Sikkim had already collected their trade passes.
The passes are issued by the district collectorate (East).
While India can export 26 items, including copper, rice, utensils and edible oil, China can sell 15 items like blanket, porcelain clothes and yak tail.
According to the officials of the department of commerce and industries, last year export worth Rs 334.4 lakh was recorded at Nathu-la but no items were imported.
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