Full-body truck scanner to be operational at Attari checkpost in Jan
INDIA’S FIRST Atomic Energy Regulatory Board to inspect the checkpost this month to install the scanner, say officials
AMRITSAR: The Integrated Check Post (ICP), which facilitates India’s bilateral trade with Pakistan and Afghanistan, at Attari border in Amritsar, is all set to get India’s first full-body truck scanner (FBTS) in early January.
However, the ₹23 crore project has missed its deadline in September, but the officials of Land Port Authority of India (LPAI), which is overseeing the project, are now confident that the project will be operational in early January as the civil structure where the scanner will be fitted is near completion.
According to the Land Port Authority of India Act, 2010, it is mandatory to install scanners at the posts through which international trade is carried out.
The ICP was inaugurated at Attari on April 13, 2012, but it has been running without any truck scanner since then.
“99.9% construction work for making two buildings—one for installing the truck scanner and another for its administration— has been completed. Even, FBTS has been imported by the Union ministry of external affairs from the United States of America. We expect that the FBTS will be operational in January,” said LPAI’s Attari manager Sukhdev Singh.
As per the LPAI officials, after the installation of the truck scanner, smuggling of concealed heroin, other drugs and weapons through the ICP from Pakistan side will be curbed. At present, manual checking of vehicles is done, which takes a lot of time.
Meanwhile, two truck scanners are operational at Wagah border in Pakistan.
The central government had sanctioned five FBTS, each for Attari-Wagah (in Punjab), Poonch-Chakkandabad and Uri-Salamabad (in Jammu & Kashmir) on the India-Pakistan border, Petrapole (in Kolkata) at India-Bangladesh border and Raxaul (in Bihar) on the IndiaNepal border.
“The foundation stones in Jammu and Kashmir, Kolkata and Bihar are yet to be laid for the installation of the scanners. However, the Attari border will be the first to have a truck scanner in India,” said Sukhdev.
He said a team of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) from Mumbai will be visiting the ICP this month to inspect the construction site, where the scanner will be installed.
“The scanner emits high radiation and the AERB will also check the suitability of the constructed site for ensuring safety in and around the area,” the LPAI manager added.
After the installation of the truck scanner, every single truck will be checked for concealment of narcotics, weapons or ammunition, besides easily verifying the content of the import or export goods, that too in couple of minutes.