Pithoragarh, June 1 -- The centuries-old Indo-China border trade through Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand's Pithoragarh district is set to resume from the first week of June after remaining suspended for nearly six years, bringing relief to traders and residents of the region. Pithoragarh District Magistrate Ashish Bhatgain said the district administration has received more than 300 trade passes from the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, as requested. The passes will be issued to traders and their assistants from Monday. "We have received over 300 trade passes from the Ministry of External Affairs. The passes will be distributed to traders and their assistants from Monday and the trade is likely to commence from the first week of June," said District Magistrate Ashish Bhatgain. Asked whether the Chinese government had approved the reopening of the route for Indian traders, Bhatgain said the trade passes had been issued only after receiving the necessary approval from the Chinese side. The Lipulekh border trade route, located in the Himalayan region of Pithoragarh district, was formally reopened in 1992 after decades of closure following the 1962 India-China war. However, trade activities came to a halt in 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic and have remained suspended since then. Historically, the trade route served as an economic lifeline for residents of the Vyans, Darma and Chaudans valleys. The traditional barter-based trade involved the exchange of Tibetan salt and wool for grains and other agricultural produce from the lower valleys of Kumaon and Garhwal....