PITHORAGARH, July 25 – The Pithorgarh administration said Indian traders can start to trade with China via the Lipu-Lekh pass.
The Lipu-Lekh pass is situated at an altitude of 17,500 feet in the Pithorgarh district, on the border with Tibet.
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Naveen Chandra Sharma, the district magistrate of Pithorgarh, said the federal Ministry of External Affairs has conveyed to the administration that trade passes could now be issued to traders who would want to visit Tibet.
The Sino-China border trade through Lipu-Lekh is estimated to be worth Rs 50-70 million (US$1-1.5 million).
Sharma said the trade would continue until September 30.
The administration will issue 350 trade passes from the MEA to relevant traders.
The administration has appointed trade officers to conduct the annual trade. A State Bank of India makeshift branch at Gunji was being opened to facilitate trade.
A variety of items like clothes, wool, tobacco, steel utensils, jaggery are expected to traded between the two countries.
