Allow livestock trade with China: Kinnauris to CM

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 3

The Kinnaur India-China Trade Association today urged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to persuade the Centre for getting a go-ahead to the trade of chiku, mules and horses.

Traders met the Chief Minister, who is on a visit to Kinnaur, and air their grievances. They said their repeated pleas to the Union Ministry of Commerce and Director General, Foreign Trade, (DGFT) had failed to yield positive results.

So far 96 trade passes have been issued and 26 people visited China with their products.

The traders pointed out that the trade of livestock was stopped in 2013 in the absence of the quarantine testing facility.

They demanded that a quarantine laboratory or some other alternative be provided so that animals like chiku, goats, horses and mules could be imported.

With the topography being the same on both sides of the border, the animals are in great demand, especially during the Lavi Fair at Rampur.

The association was formed two years ago. The traders urged the Chief Minister to urge the Centre to allow the trade from the Lepcha area of Sumdoh as it happened to be the shortest route to China. “In the past, trade was permitted from Lepcha and it was most convenient,” said Hishey Negi, president of the Kinnaur India-China Trade Association.

Though the trade between the two neighbours has picked up slightly in the last few years, it had not grown along the expected lines. To date, not even a single trader from China has crossed over to the Indian side with his trade items. “The main reason for the Chinese traders not coming here is the absence of a trade centre and basic facilities like makeshift shelters for the trade season, food and electricity,” said Hishey. He along with other traders urged the Chief Minister to take up all these issues with the Union Ministry of Commerce and Director General, Foreign Trade.

The traders, through a written representation, sought enhancement in the list of import and export items. They demanded that the Director General, Foreign Trade, should be approached to allow the import of items like thermo flasks, crockery, canned foods and herbal medicines from China. Similarly, they demanded that the export list should also be enhanced with addition of items like sugar, pulses and Thangka paintings. It was in 2012 that 20 items had been added to the trade list on the demand of the traders.