Indian traders seek permanent nod to import dry fruits fumigated with aluminium phosphide from Afghanistan

Representational Image (Credit: Pixabay)

New Delhi: The Indian importers of Afghanistan dry fruits are worried over denial by the Indian government to import dry fruits from Afghanistan fumigated with aluminium phosphide. The denial has resulted in stalling of trade for over a month, they said.  They opined that this will hit the Indo-Afghan trade via Attari-Wagah land route.

The importers have demanded from the ministry of agriculture to give them permanent permission to import duty fruits fumigated by aluminium phosphide from Afghanistan.

While talking to Zee News, President of Indo Foreign Chamber of Commerce, B K Bajaj informed on Tuesday that the dry fruit cargo arriving from Afghanistan was fumigated by aluminium phosphide which was objected by Indian authorities.

“The ministry of agriculture wants the dry fruit cargo to be treated with methyl bromide but that facility is not available in Afghanistan,” said Bajaj.

He added it was strange that the ministry had already given this facility to countries like the USA.

Bajaj said that the ministry gives them permission on a quarterly basis and at the end of every quarter, the Integrated Check Post (ICP,) Attari is shut down for a period of 15 to 30 days.

"Even now the import of dry fruits from Afghanistan is stalling for over one month," said Bajaj.

He said the Chamber had requested the ministry to give them permanent permission for the smooth running of the Afghan trade. He informed that the Chamber had also taken up the issue of the defunct Full Body Truck Scanner (FBTS) which was installed at ICP, Attari about two years ago.

“The FBTS has forfeited its very purpose of detecting arms, ammunition, drugs, and other illegal substances finding its way into India via Indo-Pak international border,” said Bajaj.

Notably, Attari-Wagah land route is the fastest trade route between India and Afghanistan. However, Pakistan has given a one-way transit route for Afghanistan to send goods to India whereas it has denied India from sending goods to Afghanistan.

Rajdeep Singh Uppal, President of International Chambers of Commerce, Amritsar, said, “For the last many years we have been raising this issue on all the relevant platforms but no breakthrough has made, Even Indian government have taken up this issue with Pakistan many times.”

It was in March 2018 that the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) had begun civil work for the installation of FBTS at ICP. Earlier In March 2017, the then minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju had stated that the government was in process of procuring five FBTS which would be installed at Attari, Petrapole (Indo-Bangladesh border), Poonch-Chakandabagh, Uri –Salambad, (both along Indo-Pak border in Jammu and Kashmir) and Raxaul (Indo-Nepal border).

Unfortunately, the FBTS couldn’t even complete its trial runs successfully and failed to detect the objectionable items concealed in the consignments.