3 weeks ago
India adds Jaigaon, Darranga e-Visa points to boost Bhutan ties
India and Bhutan are neighboring countries.
India wants to make it easier for visitors to travel between the two countries.
To do this, it added new border places where people with an e-visa can enter or leave.
Two of these new places are Jaigaon and Darranga.
An e-visa is a travel permission that people can get online.
People from 172 countries can use it.
India now has 88 entry points for e-visa holders.
Almost all e-visa requests are answered within three days.
West Bengal is also building a new border port in Jaigaon and upgrading an air force base at Hasimara so regular flights can land there.
These changes are meant to boost tourism and improve connections with Bhutan.
India notified 11 additional international entry points for e-Visa holders, taking the total number of designated entry points to 88.
Jaigaon in West Bengal's Alipurduar district and Darranga in Assam were added as designated entry and exit points for foreign nationals holding Indian e-Visas.
The new points include nine land ports — Jaigaon, Agartala, Darranga, Gede, Ghojadanga, Haridaspur, Dawki, Moreh and Attari (Road) — and two international airports, Bhopal and Tirupati.
India's e-Visa facility, launched in 2014 for nationals of 43 countries, now covers citizens of 172 countries, with about 95 per cent of applications processed within 72 hours.
The Bengal government has made the proposed land port at Jaigaon and the expansion of the Indian Air Force base at Hasimara for civilian flights top infrastructure priorities.
- Who
- The Government of India, with an official source in Bhutan commenting on the move; West Bengal Minister of State for Home and Hill Affairs Bishal Lama.
- What
- India added 11 new e-Visa entry points — including land ports Jaigaon and Darranga — to improve connectivity and boost tourism between India and Bhutan.
- Where
- India, notably Jaigaon in Alipurduar district (West Bengal) and Darranga (Assam), along the India-Bhutan border.
- When
- Announced in a recent notification; a Bhutanese official source's statement on the move was reported on a Wednesday.
- Why
- To improve connectivity and boost tourism, especially in eastern Bhutan, by giving e-Visa holders more designated entry and exit points.
Key facts
- New entry points notified
- 11
- Total designated entry points
- 88
- New land ports
- 9 (Jaigaon, Agartala, Darranga, Gede, Ghojadanga, Haridaspur, Dawki, Moreh, Attari Road)
- New international airports
- 2 (Bhopal and Tirupati)
- e-Visa launch year
- 2014 (43 countries)
- Countries covered by e-Visa
- 172
- Processing time
- About 95% of applications processed within 72 hours
- Designated entry infrastructure
- 37 airports, 38 seaports, 13 land ports
Sources
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