Allow goods traffic between India & Bangladesh: MHA to Bengal

NEW DELHI: The home ministry on Wednesday wrote to West Bengal government pointing to its failure to ensure resumption of goods traffic between India and Bangladesh through border crossings falling in the state. Warning that this was violative of MHA lockdown orders issued under the Disaster Management Act and also Article 253, 256 and 257 of the Constitution, besides having implications for the country with regard to legally binding international commitments, the ministry asked the state government to allow goods transportation through all Indo-Bangladesh border crossings without any further delay.
Directions were given by the home ministry on April 24 to all states to allow
cross land border transportation of essential goods through all Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan and Indo-Bangladesh bordere and send a compliance report in this regard.
“...I am constrained to say that we have not received the compliance report from the state government of West Bengal. Further, it has been reported that goods traffic through border crossings between India and Bangladesh, falling in the state of West Bengal, has still not resumed. As a result, a large number of trucks carrying essential supplies, bound for Bangladesh, are stranded at different border crossing points. A number of drivers of such vehicles, while retuming from Bangladesh, have also not been allowed to cross the border, and are stranded in Bangladesh,” Union Home Secretary A K Bhalla wrote to state chief secretary Rajiva Sinha.
Bhalla pointed out that new lockdown guidelines issued by the home ministry on May 1 had clearly spelt out that no state/UT shall stop movement of cargo for cross-border land trade under treaties with neighbouring countries.
“...the unilateral action on the part of Government of West Bengal to stop the cross land border movement of essential goods would have larger implications for the Indian Government with regard to its legally binding international commitments. This act of the State Government of West Bengal, amounts to violation of the orders issued by MHA under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 as well as Articles 253, 256 and 257 of the Constitution of India,” said the Home Secretary.
The state has been directed to allow cross land border transportation through all Indo-Bangladesh borders without any further delay and send the compliance on opening of cross land borders, by Wednesday itself.