|
SATKHIRA, Dec 24 (UNB): Bhomra landport, close to India's busy business centre Kolkata, which earns substantial revenue every year, remains neglected.
Earning from the land port jumped to nearly Tk 547.9 million during the last fiscal year from a mere Tk 126.6 million two years ago despite it has little or no infrastructure facilities. By raising such facilities and thus plugging the holes of duty evasion the government revenue can be more than double, said a number of port officials requesting anonymity.
Established in 1996 and housed in five small, dilapidated tin shed constructions built during the British Raj the Bhomra port has not even telephone connection. It lacks warehouse, truck terminal and weighing machine, leaving wide scope for inroad of contraband, falsely-declared and undeclared goods from across the border. Similar wrongs may also happen in case of export consignments which however are few.
Narrow and dilapidated road connecting the port is a scene of intolerable traffic jam mainly with trucks. In fact, the Bomra port presents an ideal transit point for illegal transactions with India, official admitted without identifying himself.
Statistics of annual revenue earning during the last few years showed its growing importance. The earning was Tk 126.6 million against the target of Tk 51.7 million in 2002-03, Tk 335.6 million against Tk 120 million in 2003-04, Tk 547.9 million against Tk 347.9 million in 2004-05 and Tk 215.6 million in first four months of current fiscal against the annual target of Tk 404.6 million.
|