Attari, January 23: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday stated that he had reviewed the progress of Kartarpur corridor and directed the departments concerned to get it completed in a time-bound manner. He said the process was on to acquire land, but refrained from saying anything when asked if the corridor would help improve ties between the two nations.
The minister was here to inaugurate the upgraded spectators’ gallery at the Attari-Wagah border. He witnessed the Retreat ceremony and interacted with BSF jawans.
The spectators’ gallery had been operational for the past five months with its expanded version. Awaiting a formal inauguration, the gallery was scheduled to be opened on September 26, 2018, by the then Director General (DG) of the BSF, KK Sharma, but the event was postponed.
Rajnath was unable to give a reply when asked about the progress of full-body truck scanner, which has been in a limbo for the past several years at the ICP, Attari. Costing around Rs 23 crore, the full-body 22-wheel truck scanner was announced by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiran Rijiju on March 22, 2017, but the project missed several deadlines.
The equipment was needed to check drug peddling or smuggling of gold or other material coming from across the border. Ironically, the checking is done manually with the assistance of sniffer dogs. When asked, he said: “It is expected to be done within three months.”
The minister also laid the foundation of a housing complex of 300 units for BSF personnel and unveiled the business-related infrastructure at the Integrated Check Post (ICP), Attari, a gateway to bilateral trade between India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“We have made it mandatory to have a housing complex for BSF jawans in all ICPs,” he said.
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