India plans land customs station on Bhutan border

Jalpaiguri: In the wake of China’s recent move to occupy Indian territory in Ladakh, following the stand-off in Doklam, India is keen on strengthening its relationship with the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which is a buffer between the two Asian nuclear powers.
On Bhutan’s request, India is all set to come up with a new land customs station at Jiti on the Indo-Bhutanese border in Jalpaiguri’s Nagrakata block.
Jaigaon in Alipurduar’s Kalchini block is also to be developed as an integrated check post. Jaigaon shares its border with Phuntsholing, the second largest settlement in Bhutan after Thimpu.
To fortify ties with the friendly Himalayan nation and counter unwelcome Chinese overtures on the Bhutan-China border, India plans to moot once more a proposal for railway connectivity with Bhutan.
Three places had earlier been identified for the project. Two were in Assam’s Pathshala and Kokrajhar and one in Bengal’s Hasimara.
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