Kartarpur corridor: Dera Baba Nanak Land Check Post in Gurdaspur to be main check post for transit

NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry has designated Dera Baba Nanak Land Check Post in Gurdaspur district in Punjab as the authorized Immigration Check Post for entry into/exit from India for the Kartarpur corridor.

The Home Ministry in a notification issued on Monday said, "In pursuance of sub-rule (b) of rule 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950, the Central  Government hereby designates Dera Baba Nanak Land Check Post of Distt. Gurdaspur, Punjab State as an authorized Immigration Check Post for entry into/exit from India with valid travel documents for all classes of passengers."

Govt also appointed Chief Immigration Officer, Dera Baba Nanak as the "Civil Authority" for the purpose of the said order for the Immigration Check Post.

Last week, 2nd meet on Kartarpur corridor took place at the home ministry. The meet was chaired by Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gaubaand attended by Punjab Chief Secretary, Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria & DG BSF RK Misra.

Briefing the reporters after the meeting Punjab chief secretary Karan Avtar Singh had then said legal modalities will be completed within a month.

India has already issued a notification for land acquisition for the highway and is working on the plan for an integrated check post(ICP). Punjab govt is expected to provide all the land for the highway & ICP by mid March.

Indian and Pakistani officials will be meeting on 13 March to discuss the modalities of the corridor. New Delhi has suggested an India Pakistan engineers meet before that meet and has proposed 2 dates--15th or 16th of February for that.

Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Ajay Bisaria has the Kartarpur corridor as a "corridor of faith" that will build trust between the 2 countries.

India, Pakistan last year approved the building of Kartarpur Corridor so that pilgrims can easily visit the Holy Gurudwara to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev this year. 

The founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak lived for 18 years at the location were the Kartarpur Gurudwara is located in Pakistan.