Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Saturday met Union home minister Amit Shah and demanded setting up of a new integrated check-post (ICP) at Sabroom sub-division of South Tripura district, around 130km from here.

A press release from the chief minister’s office (CMO) on Saturday said Deb had called on Shah in New Delhi and discussed the sanctioning of a checkpost at Sabroom on the India-Bangladesh border.

“Tripura with its 856km international border with Bangladesh has vast potential for international trade. The total volume of the trade has increased from a meagre Rs 4.12 crore during 1995-96 to Rs 537.08 crore in 2018-19. Access to the Chittagong port via Sabroom is expected to commence with the scheduled completion of the bridge over the river Feni by March 2020,” it read.

The release said Sabroom was already connected with all the northeastern states through broad-gauge railway and national highways and it would become a gateway to the Northeast. Therefore, according to it, it is necessary to create infrastructure for trade at Sabroom on priority.

“Setting up of the ICP at Sabroom will open up a new vista of opportunities for economic and trading activities in the northeastern states. The cost of raw materials as well as finished goods will be cheaper and the volume of trade is expected to increase to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore per year. It will also pave the way for setting up of gas-based, rubber-based, textiles and fertiliser industries, among others, in Tripura. The process of setting up of a special economic zone (SEZ) at Sabroom which is just 1.5km from the proposed Sabroom ICP has already been initiated,” the press release of the CMO said.

Shah assured that the home ministry would consider the proposal for sanction of the ICP and provide required funds for acquisition of land and infrastructure development.

Later, Deb met Union minister of state for civil aviation and housing and urban affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, and discussed various issues such as release of balance funds of Rs 82 crore under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (urban), Rs 13.4 crore for individual household latrines under Swachh Bharat mission (urban) and enhancement of quantum of central assistance under Light House project.

Deb also demanded flights from Calcutta to Kailasahar subdivision of Unakoti district and visit of a central team for a feasibility study for construction of a heliport at Narikel Kunj, a tourist destination on the Dumboor lake at Gandacherra of Dhalai district.