India-Bangladesh Border Haats at Meghalaya Border Allowed for Local Produce

[DGFT Public Notice No. 61 dated 1st July 2011]

Subject: Trade in Border Haats across the border at Meghalaya between Bangladesh and India.

In exercise of powers conferred under paragraph 2.4 of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2004-09, the Director General of Foreign Trade hereby makes the following arrangements under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) dated 23.10.2010 between India and Bangladesh:

1. In terms of the provisions contained in the Foreign Trade Policy, the following commodities will be allowed to be traded in the Border Haats at Baliamari – Kalaichar and Lauwaghar –Balat:

i. Locally produced vegetables, food items, fruits, spices;

ii. Minor local forest produce e.g. bamboo, bamboo grass, and broom stick but excluding timber;

iii. Products of local cottage industries like Gamcha, Lungi etc;

iv. Small locally produced agriculture household implements e.g., dao, plough, axe, spade, chisel etc;

v. Locally produced garments, melamine products, processed food items, fruit juice, etc.

2. Locally produced under the above means ‘the produce of the concerned border district of the designated Haat’. Clarification as to the specific commodity falling under the above list of items will be given by the Haat Management Committee, constituted under Article 1 of the operational guidelines of the MOU.

3. Vendors who are allowed to sell their products in the Border Haats shall be the residents of the area within five (5) km radius from the location of Border Haat. The vendees may offer immediate consumption items of snack foods/ juices as may be allowed by the Haat Management Committee.

Effect of Public Notice

It operationlises the provisions of Memorandum of Understanding dated 23.10.2010 between India and Bangladesh and facilitates trade in Border Haats at Baliamari – Kalaichar and Lauwaghar –Balat across the borders at Meghalaya.