Petrapole Terminal Inauguration Postponed Due to Cyclone Dana

Kolkata, Oct 21 (PTI) The inauguration of the Rs 450 crore modern passenger terminal at Petrapole on the Indo-Bangladesh border which was scheduled to be inaugurated by Home Minister Amit Shah, has been postponed due to the impending cyclone Dana, an official said.

According to sources, Shah was supposed to inaugurate the terminal on October 24.

Therefore, the Indo-Bangladesh cargo trade through the Petrapole land port will proceed as usual from October 22 to October 25 following the postponement of the Union home minister's visit.

Notably, cyclone Dana is likely to hit the north Odisha and West Bengal coasts, between Puri and Sagar Island, on the intervening night of October 24 and 25, with winds reaching 100-110 kilometres per hour.

The Land Port Authority of India had previously issued a notice to halt import-export activities for four days from October 22, in anticipation of Shah's visit.

"The Union home minister's visit has been postponed due to cyclone Dana. So trade will continue as normal starting tomorrow," the Manager of Petrapole Land Port, Kamlesh Saini, told PTI.

He expected that the dedication to the nation ceremony by the Union home minister would happen anytime in the near future.

The new terminal, part of the largest land port in South Asia, is designed to facilitate smoother movement between India and Bangladesh, addressing long queues and handling up to 2.3 million passengers annually.

Once operational, it will process over 20,000 passengers daily and accommodate 2,500 at any given time.

The 60,000 square meter terminal, built at an estimated cost of Rs 450 crore, will feature a modern airport-style design.