Union home minister Amit Shah said on Tuesday that the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), a wing under the ministry of home affairs, was not only helping the nation’s economic growth but also acting as the country’s ambassador for friendship and fraternity with neighbouring countries.

While inaugurating a number of projects of LPAI and Border Security Force at the Petrapole land port in North 24-Parganas, including laying the foundation stone of the second cargo gate titled “Maitri Dwar”, Shah said: “Bharat ka maitri ki sandesh ka rajdoot hai land ports authority (Land Ports Authority is the friendship ambassador for India).”

He, however, used the occasion to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to provide the LPAI with “a new momentum, direction as well as dimension” to take forward India’s trade relations with South Asian countries and “develop warm bonds” with neighbouring countries.

Shah also used the opportunity to reassert India’s strong bond with Bangladesh and credited Modi for the improvement in the bilateral relationship between the two nations.

Shah said: “We share a great bond with Bangladesh because of linkages of culture, language, art, and tradition. Nobody can break the bond between India and Bangladesh. The two countries have a shared culture... (and) India has played a key role in Bangladesh’s history.”

Lauding Modi’s endeavour and his government’s border policy, Shah said: “A new border policy formulated by our Prime Minister has strengthened the country’s connection and trade relations with all South Asian countries.”

Shah listed the important steps the Centre had taken towards improving border infrastructure, bilateral trade, people-to-people connectivity, and village development. This, he said, had been done to improve bilateral relationships with neighbouring countries.

On the border security policy, Shah said: “After Modi came to power we developed a new border policy. Earlier there was no infrastructure, poor connectivity, and trade, and people-to-people connectivity was very weak. Our policy is very clear and precise now. We are building strong infrastructure in the border areas and efforts are being made to provide benefits of welfare schemes in border villages while developing connectivity”.

Shah came up with figures in support of his claim that proactive border initiatives of the Modi government had led to an increase in trade volume.

“Under the leadership of Narendra Modi, there has been a major escalation in trade value. During 2016-17, the net trade value was Rs 18,000 crore, which during 2022-23 has crossed the Rs 30,000 crore mark, while more than 20 lakh passengers have crossed the border through land ports."