The Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) has announced plans to develop seven new Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) along West Bengal’s border with Bangladesh over the next five to six years, significantly expanding cross-border trade infrastructure and strengthening connectivity in the strategically important Siliguri Corridor.
According to LPAI Chairman Jayant Singh, the proposed integrated land ports will be established at Ghojadanga, Madhavpara, Hili, Birpara, Jalgao, Panitanki and Chamurchi. Five of these locations are situated within the Siliguri Corridor, a key transit region linking India’s northeastern states with the rest of the country.
West Bengal currently hosts only one integrated land port at Petrapole Integrated Check Post, one of the busiest land trade gateways between India and Bangladesh. The planned expansion is expected to enhance cargo movement, streamline border procedures and support growing bilateral trade.
The Ghojadanga facility in North 24 Parganas is expected to be the first project to be commissioned. LPAI officials indicated that preparations are underway and that the authority plans to engage with the state government regarding its inauguration.
Each integrated land port is expected to require approximately 50 acres of land and will incorporate customs and immigration facilities, cargo handling infrastructure, truck parking areas, food courts, commercial spaces and facilities for the Border Security Force (BSF). Land acquisition has already been completed for some of the proposed locations.
LPAI believes the new ports could substantially boost trade volumes between India and Bangladesh. The authority estimates that bilateral trade conducted through land routes could increase up to tenfold once the planned facilities become fully operational.
India currently operates 15 integrated land ports, and the government’s long-term strategy envisions expanding the network to more than 80 such facilities by 2047, supporting trade facilitation, border management and regional economic integration.
