Foreign Minister says Govt following up with GoI on reopening Samtse trade route shut down by SSB

The Foreign Minister D.N Dhungyel responded on the issue of the trade route between Trashijong/Duarpani in Samtse not being reopened after COVID.

This has led to severe traffic congestion in Samtse at its main Integrated Check Post (ICP), where heavy vehicles often take three to four hours to pass through a distance of barely two kilometers.

The congestion is mainly caused by the single-lane entry and exit system at the ICP and the increasing volume of Indian vehicles entering Bhutan. This has been made worse by the continued closure of the Duarpani gate, which historically served as a strategic one-stop export route and helped facilitate the movement of heavy vehicles.

Although the Bhutan Exporters Association (BEA) and local authorities have developed the necessary infrastructure to resume operations post-pandemic, the gate remains non-operational.

According to exporters, the Indian Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) says that movement through Duarpani cannot be facilitated without formal notification from the Government of India in New Delhi. As a result, all heavy export traffic is being channelled through Samtse town and the ICP, increasing transportation costs and affecting trade efficiency.

Lyonpo said the Royal Government formally requested the Government of India in November 2023 to re-open the trade route between Trashijong/Duarpani in Samtse (via Forest Basti) and Chamurchi in the Indian State of West Bengal (approximately 2.3 km), which was closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not reopened thereafter.

Although the route has not been formally notified as a designated trade route, it was regularly used for trade prior to the pandemic. Recognizing its importance for facilitating Bhutanese exports and reducing congestion in Samtse town, the Royal Government has been pursuing its formal notification by the Government of India.

GoI said this was never a formal trade route which will take time for formal notification, it passes through forest land and cannot be done immediately and in Chamurchi the infrastructure is not ready.

Lyonpo said GoI has said it will put up the infrastructure but it is taking time.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade has consistently followed up with the relevant Indian authorities, including through bilateral mechanisms such as the Joint Group of Customs Meeting, the Commerce Secretary-Level Meeting, and the Border District Coordination Meeting. The Ministry is awaiting formal notification from the Government of India.