Tripura goverment urges Bangladesh to lift ban on rubber export

The Tripura government has written to Bangladesh requesting the country to lift the ban which was imposed on exporting finished rubber products.

While speaking in a day-long 4th conclave on rubber production organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Special Secretary of the Department of Industry and Commerce Abhishek Chandra said, “Everybody knows that Bangladesh is not lifting the ban on exporting finished rubber products. We have already written to the government of Bangladesh to kindly see the matter and to allow us to export rubber through Agartala-Akhaura land customs stations like the Petrapole-Benapole border checkpoint of West Bengal. And if they don’t allow Agartala-Akhaura then other check posts are there also for exportation”.

While expressing dissatisfaction over the quantity of rubber production, the Special Secretary said that tyre companies will never set up their factory here in Tripura because of less production.

“The growth of rubber production in Tripura is really positive and we have been doing a lot of work in rubber production. We are coming out with a new mini-mission very soon and there has been a lot of talk about productivity enhancement as well as having some new industries in various areas. But the worrying thing is India is importing 95 per cent of rubber and the entire country’s production is five per cent industries which we are in the number two position. Most of the rubber comes from Malaysia and from other countries like East Asian countries. For value additional rubber production we need sector-specific industries in the state and only then there will be demand for the product or else the Tyre industry will never come here if we don’t increase productivity”, the official said.

Earlier the Tripura CM Manik Saha sought NITI Aayog's cooperation to lift the port-based ban on exporting finished rubber from Tripura to Bangladesh.

“Tripura has many potential areas in overall development. This government has taken appropriate initiatives for the development of the state by exploiting these potential areas”, said CM.

Chief Minister Professor (Dr.) Manik Saha said this in a high-level meeting held on November 7, late evening with a five-member delegation led by NITI Aayog member Dr VK Saraswat at the Secretariat.

He said that the development of North Eastern states is accelerating as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has adopted the Act East policy for the overall development of North Eastern states.

During the discussion, the Chief Minister sought NITI Aayog's cooperation to lift the port-based ban on exporting finished rubber from Tripura to Bangladesh.