MHA move to open up Sikkim peaks to foreigners hurting local

Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal called on Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang at his office here on Tuesday and discussed a range of issues, including MHA's move to open up 24 peaks to foreigners and introduction of electric vehicles in the state, a statement here said.

The Centre, in a bid to boost tourism, has recently issued a notification, allowing mountaineering expeditions to 137 peaks across the country, including Kanchenjunga and 23 others in Sikkim, it said.

In a letter to the Centre, the Sikkim government has sought immediate withdrawal of the notification, stating that the peaks are of sentimental and religious value to locals.

Tamang, better known as Golay, urged Meghwal to apprise the central government about the sensitivity of the matter and spare at least 14 of the 24 peaks that have been opened to foreigners for expeditions.

The Union minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprises assured the CM that he would talk to the authorities concerned on the issue.

Meghwal said that he was hopeful that the Centre would try to protect local sentiments, the official statement said.

Talking about the need for industrialization in the state, the chief minister also requested Meghwal to consider his proposal for establishing ancillary units, if not manufacturing units, of heavy machineries.

It would solve the problem of unemployment to an extent, Golay insisted.

The Union minister, on his part, assered that he would discuss the matter with automobile companies.

Meghwal also apprised Golay about his ministry's National Electricity Mobility Mission Plan 2020 - a mission document providing for a road map for faster adaptation of Electric Vehicles (EV) in the country.

When the CM said that Sikkim's demand for 50 electric mini buses were not approved by the Centre on the ground that it did not fulfill all criteria, Meghwal gave assurances that he would advocate for relaxation of norms for the state.