Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand: The 17,500-feet high Lipulekh Pass here has been opened for this year's India-China trade and Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. A trade office has been set-up at Gunji base camp and a control room established at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) battalion headquarter at Mithi for the annual trade practice which officialy starts from today through the Pass which connects India, Nepal and China.
"We have started distributing trade passes, received from Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India for this years' Indo-China border trade from Lipulekh pass from today and have so far received applications from 188 traders against the availability of over 405 trade passes for this year," Deputy Trade Officer P S Kutiyal said.
He said the allotment of trade passes to traders will finish by June 5. The first base camp has been opened at Dharchula, in Uttarakhand's Kumaon region to facilitate the border trade. Tribal traders have started ferrying their exportable goods at Gunji mart, the officer added.
State Bank of India and the Customs department have started the process to open their make shift offices at the second base camp in Gunji, where medical facilities will be provided by ITBP doctors, he said.
"The Indo-China border trade, which runs between June 1 to October 31 every year facilitates the tribal community traders to import Tibetan wool and other materials which are essential parts of their traditional crafts which form their traditional economy," Pithoragarh District Magistrate Shusheel Kumar said.
Meanwhile, district administration has also started preparations for the annual Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage by deputing women ITBP jawans for safe passage of women travellers.
"We have deputed 25 women jawans from ITBP this year for women pilgrims between Gunji to Lipulekh pass for the Yatra.
The first batch of pilgrims will reach the base camp at Dharchula on June 13 this year," ITBP officer Kedar Singh Rawat said.
