In spite of Dhaka´s overt reluctance to allow India to use its Chittagong port for the North Eastern states, New Delhi has managed to get an alternative route for the region through Myanmar avoiding Bangladesh namely the Akyab (Sittwe) port on the Bay of Bengal in Myanmar as a transit seaport for a sea-and-river trade route for the North East region through Mizoram.

The proposed construction of Kaladan Multi Modal Transport Project and the Triangular road connecting Mizoram with Kalmeyo in Myanmar will transform the Northeastern State into the “Corridor to the East”. Another major project called the Triangular road connecting Rih to Kalemyo via Tiddim and Falam in Myanmar will boost the Indo-Myanmar trade.

The regional planning body of North Eastern Council (NEC) has decided to equip national waterways number 2 (from Dhubri to Sadiya in Assam) with night navigation facilities and has drawn proposal for according national waterways number six status to Karimgang- Lakipur- Barak river route. It is also planning to link the Barak River basin of Assam with Kaladan River.

According to the minister for department of Development of Northeastern Region (Doner), Mr. Mani Shankar Aiyar Kaladan project will give Indian states access to South East Asia through Mizoram bypassing Bangladesh and Northeast India will have an alternative route to Kolkata and Vishakapattanam bypassing Siliguri. This was formerly not possible due to Bangladesh’s refusal to grant India transit facilities.

External Affairs minister, Mr. Pranab Mukerjee informed that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is laying nearly 600 Km of cable to bring Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia under telephone network through Moreh in Manipur.

Mr. Mukerjee added that Electronics Corporation of India (ECIL) will also lay optical fiber cables to provide telephone linkage between Moreh on the Indian side and Tamu on the Myanmar side.

India is now increasingly using Northeast India for its trade diplomacy with ASEAN countries. The huge gas reserves in Myanmar and the government of India’s ambitious plan of building Trans nation gas pipeline from Myanmar to India via Northeast to meet India’s energy security has seen New Delhi making desperate attempts to strengthen its trade relations with Myanmar.

Trans nation pipeline will require an investment of around $3 billion. Indian companies GAIL (India) Limited and ONGC each own 30 per cent in Myanmar gas. According to an estimate the offshore A1 block in Myanmar has nearly 4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and is located near Sittwe port of Myanmar.

Myanmar shares nearly 1600 kms of border with India. Moreh trade point in Manipur is the only land custom station between Northeast India and Myanmar. The union commerce ministry has decided to spend Rs 70 Crore for infrastructural development of the Moreh trade point.

Union minister of state for commerce, Mr. Jairam Ramesh assured that the defunct Namphong land custom station along the India-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh will be reopened for formal bilateral trade by 2008. The Arunachal Pradesh government is planning to build the infrastructure of this custom station in the Wagah border style to attract tourists.

Meanwhile, the Arunachal government wants the centre to open seven border points, five of which are with China and one each with Bhutan and Myanmar. The Arunachal Pradesh government has submitted a Rs. 126 Crore project proposal for the up gradation of the Namphong LCS. This includes water supply and electricity facilities, parking terminal and approach roads.

Sunaina