The annual India-Tibet barter trade at Taklakot mart in the Himalayan region which starts from June 1 may be delayed as the authorities are still awaiting permission from the Centre and the Chinese government.
Last year, the trade could not take place, for the first time since 1992, due to protests in Tibet in the wake of the Beijing Olympics.
This year China has not given its permission so far heightening suspense over resumption of the trade at Taklakot mart in Tibet.
There is no response from the Centre too in this regard. Pithoragarh District authorities have sent a fresh letter to the Centre requesting for the early resumption of the trade as well as passes required for visiting Tibet.
"We are still waiting for an early reply from the Centre," district magistrate of Pithoragarh P S Gusain told PTI.
Earlier, the ministry of external affairs had also sent similar letters to Beijing in this regard.
The trade begins every year on June 1.
The other main issue is landslides at a big stretch of a track in the border district of Pithoragarh leading to Taklakot. Due to poor infrastructure, traders have to trek 60 km distance from Pithoragarh crossing inhospitable terrains to reach Taklakot, the trade mart in Tibet, where the two sides indulge in barter trade.
The volume of the barter trade has been falling during the past few years with Rs 1.5 crore (Rs 15 million) business was being registered two years ago. Indian traders are calling for resuming trade this season as well as revoking a ban on the import of some trade items like Chinese raw silk and live stock, which are in good demand in India.
The import of live stock has been banned since no quarantine facility is available at Gunji, the Indian mart at Pithoragarh.
Through the barter trade with their Chinese and Tibetan counterparts, Indian traders exchange goods like jaggery, wool, spices and blankets among other things.
The India-Tibet barter trade, which was resumed in 1992 after a gap of 30 years following the 1962 war, reached Rs 14 crore (Rs 140-million) mark in 2004. But after the ban on certain items like live stock and Chinese silk, the volume of trade is gradually falling.
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