Sunday, 22 December 2024
Sunday, 22 December 2024
The development and maintenance of the 52 kilometre stretch of Sevok-Rangpo section of National Highway 10 (NH 10) has been taken away from the West Bengal's Public Works Department (PWD) and was given to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) on Tuesday, said Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista in a post on X on Tuesday.
In June, chief minister P.S. Golay had urged the Centre to bring the Rangpo-Sevoke stretch of NH 10 under the National Highways Authority of India, according to a report in the Sikkim Express.
The Rangpo-Sevoke stretch of NH 10 spanning about 71 km is under the state PWD. The 40 km stretch of Rangpo to Gangtok on Sikkim side is maintained by the NHIDCL.
“This is a landmark moment, which will ensure that the people from our Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim region will benefit due to the central agency NHIDCL taking care of this critical NH-10 infrastructure. With this we can ensure a timely repair, maintenance and expansion of NH-10, which will benefit the local people, students, tourists, trade, and especially our drivers community including taxi drivers, bus drivers and truck drivers.” Bista posted on X.
He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari for accepting his requests and prioritising development of the region.
Bista also criticised the state’s PWD department for reportedly lacking the expertise and financial resources to maintain this important highway.
“I realized a long time ago that the WB PWD lacks the expertise and financial resources to keep an important highway connecting border regions of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Dooars and Sikkim to the rest of India. I have said time and again that the WB PWD should hand over the portion of NH-10 they are controlling to NHIDCL, so that the people from our region too can get access to better roads.” Bista wrote.
The frequent closure of NH10, which serves as the lifeline for Sikkim and Kalimpong, because of landslides, has been a concern.
The Telegraph had earlier reported that tourism decreased in the region by about 40 per cent last year.
“The repeated closure of the highway creates uncertainty for tourists. NH10 needs dedicated attention as its closures have an immediate and damaging impact on the local tourism industry. Establishing a reliable, all-weather road route is essential for both accessibility and the region’s safety.” Sandip Das, who runs hotels in Sikkim, had told The Telegraph then.
Transportation is a crucial factor to give a fillip to tourism in hilly states clear from the high tourist footfall in a state like Himachal Pradesh, where central PWD maintains many national highways passing through the state.
There is no reaction from the state government, yet, on the decision by the centre.
