New Delhi: West Bengal will remain a key focus area for India’s upcoming land port development plans, Land Ports Authority of India Chairperson Jayant
Singh said on Tuesday. The push comes as the Centre looks to strengthen border trade, passenger movement and security infrastructure around the sensitive Siliguri Corridor.
Singh was speaking at the launch of the Land Port Management System, called Vinimay, in New Delhi. The digital platform was inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and is aimed at reducing paperwork, improving cargo movement and bringing land ports closer to the digital systems used at airports and seaports.
Why Bengal matters for land ports
Singh said Bengal’s location makes it a major priority for future border infrastructure.
“In phase one and in the current phase, Bengal will be our focus because of its important geographical location, having Bangladesh on one side, Bhutan on one side and Nepal on another and we have to secure the Siliguri Corridor. Seeing its sensitivity, we need huge BIM,” he said.
The Siliguri Corridor is a narrow and strategically sensitive stretch that links mainland India with the Northeast. Any upgrade in this region carries both trade and security value.
From border crossings to economic corridors
Singh said the aim is to develop border crossings into multimodal corridors, including Raxaul, Birganj, Jogbani and the larger Siliguri Corridor.
He also said land ports such as Petrapole and Ghojadanga in West Bengal have around 20 to 22 acres of land where a textile cluster could be developed. This could turn border areas into trade-linked business zones, not just cargo checkpoints.
What Vinimay will do
Vinimay will bring cargo processing, passenger movement, slot booking, payments, tracking and single-window clearances onto one digital platform.
A Home Ministry statement said the system will be fully integrated with ICEGATE, ULIP and the motor vehicle ecosystem. Amit Shah said nearly 90 per cent of paperwork will be removed through the system.
India currently has 15 operational land ports. Another 11 are planned over the next two to three years.
