Cross-border traders demand the installation of new FBTS

RAVINDER SINGH ROBIN

Attari, Oct 15 (IANS) A delegation of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) Chamber of Commerce, Attari met Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra and demanded to replace the Full Body Truck Scanner (FBTS) installed at Attari ICP with a new one.

"The FBTS, which was inaugurated last year, has failed to serve its purpose and is unable to detect the contrabands which gives bad name not only to a particular trader but to the whole of the trading community," said Anil Mehra, president of the ICP Chamber of Commerce, Attari while talking to IANS after meeting the Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Kumar Mishra.

Mehra said the physical checking of containers was a time-consuming process that results in delays in the arrival of goods in the market causing losses to the traders.

"Given the volume of cross-border trade, especially the dry fruits and the pharmaceutical products from Afghanistan, we have urged the Minister to install a new FBTS and three X-Ray machines at the ICP, Attari," he said.

Notably, an FBTS costing around Rs 23 crore was installed at ICP, Attari but it failed to detect the contrabands and forfeited its very purpose.