Highway clear, profit hope soars

Siliguri, March 24:(The Telegraph): Stakeholders in the tourism sector, particularly those based in Sikkim, are hoping for a better summer this time with the Centre and the Bengal government gearing up to keep NH31A, the lifeline to the Himalayan state, free from political blockades.

Tour operators are relieved that three companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been posted along NH31A since the last week of February. “We can now guarantee our clients that there will be no disruptions in their travel plans and the highway will be blockade-free,” said a Sikkim-based tour operator.

Also, with the next round of tripartite talks between the Centre, state and the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha slated for the middle of May, tour agents are hopeful that the hill party will not take to the path of bandhs and blockades as long as the process of dialogue is on.

Those in Sikkim are more anxious as the state is all set to celebrate 2010 as Tourism Year. The national highway is the only arterial link the state has with the rest of the country. The Supreme Court had ordered, on a petition filed by a Sikkim resident, that the Centre and the Bengal government ensure that NH31A be kept free of blockades all the time. Frequent strikes called in Bengal by those supporting and opposing Gorkhaland had been affecting traffic on the busy highway.

“Sikkim is gaining prominence as a tourist destination in the national and international circuits. We have a number of events lined up this year to attract as many visitors as we can. The objective is to project Sikkim’s image as a premier tourist destination in the Tourism Year. For the success of the events, it is important that the political situation in the Darjeeling hills is favourable,” said B. Namgyal, the secretary of the Travel Agents’ Association of Sikkim and the proprietor of Sikkim Holidays Tour Trek and Expedition.

“Foreign tourists visit Darjeeling, Sikkim and the Dooars as a circuit. Their first query before visiting is always on the political situation in Darjeeling. This factor influences their decisions a lot. These people are our high-paying clients and they visit in large groups. Last year, we suffered losses of nearly 40 per cent. The tourist season this year has kickstarted well and we hope that the tripartite talks are favourable so that we don’t have to suffer,” Namgyal said without putting a figure on the losses.

Tour operators in Darjeeling, too, have their fingers crossed as NH55 — the national highway connecting it to Siliguri — is the subject of frequent blockades but is out of the ambit of the apex court order.

“In the past 30 months of the Gorkhaland agitation, Darjeeling tourism has suffered a huge setback. But now, the situation seems to be positive and we hope things will work out in the tripartite talks and a settlement will be reached. We are receiving several enquiries from domestic and foreign tourists for the coming season,” a Darjeeling-based tour operator said.