The central government plans to establish seven to eight new international land ports in Bengal to ease the movement of cargo and people across the borders with Bangladesh and Nepal. The facilities will be developed by the Land Ports Authority of India, a body that reports to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, and will supplement the existing land port at Petrapole near Bongaon. The project is presented as part of a wider effort to strengthen cross border trade infrastructure in the region. Locations identified for development include Panitanki at the Indo-Nepal border, Ghojadanga in North 24 Parganas, Hili in Dinajpur and Birpara in Alipurduar. Many of these places currently operate as land customs stations and the authority has sought to convert them to modern port infrastructure with terminals to smooth vehicle movement. Progress has been held up for months by the absence of suitable land parcels directly at the border. Jayant Singh, the chairman of the Land Ports Authority of India, said the authority was looking to set up seven to eight land ports in Bengal and that each would require about 50 acres on average, with the location needing to be on the border. A land port would typically combine cargo handling space, parking and warehouse facilities alongside cold storage and terminals for immigration and customs. The design is intended to host the Border Security Force and other agencies under a single roof to expedite clearance. Authorities expect the integrated approach to shorten delays and improve throughput for freight movement. The Bengal projects form part of a nationwide plan to build 74 additional land ports, intended to raise the national tally from 15 at present. Total trade with neighbouring countries stood at Rs 2,275.22 billion (bn), of which Rs 828.44 billion (bn) was conducted through land ports. The government estimates that land borders have potential for another Rs 4,441.67 billion (bn) of untapped trade. Successful delivery will depend on timely land allocation and closer coordination between the state and the centre.