GANGTOK, April 19: Pondering upon the pathetic scenario of tourism in the state, the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) today held that continuous interception by Siliguri (West Bengal) based travel agents into the tourist inflow in Sikkim is falling foul of genuine Sikkimese entrepreneurs affecting the state tourism market, yet the state government lay oblivious and inactive against the same.
A meeting of SPCC today pointed at the Chief Minister’s speech at Pelling, last year, wherein the latter affirmed that he would not tolerate the people of Gyalshing to allow leasing business bequeathing the tourism business in non-Sikkimese hand, opining that government seemingly says something, but acts differently.
When local participation in tourism can help to solve unemployment problem in the state, such misdirection in reaping the tourism benefits is leading Central funds for tourism promotion to nowhere, the party asserted.
SK Bardewa, Chairman to Public Grievance Cell of the SPCC reportedly also met the Deputy Director to Department of Tourism, government of West Bengal and complained about the interception to individual tourists even in their train to NJP.
The tourist, it is presumed somehow fall in the trap of the Siliguri based travel agents and hardly visit Sikkim Tourism Office at Siliguri or IPR Siliguri office for enquiry and information, implying the uselessness of the government setup there.
Calling the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) government to appreciate the good suggestions at times, the state Congress bid the state government to ensure that the Sikkim bound tourists are not intercepted or forcefully taken to the office or hold of Siliguri agents for their lucrative gain. The party requested the Chief Secretary and Secretary to Tourism to look into such problems seriously in light of the marketing strategies that are getting complex and technical day by day.
The SPCC also observed that Chairman to Sikkim Tourism Board has had less time to devote on tourism problems and future action plans, instead ‘taking care of the SDF party’. “The office machineries of these Chairmen are simply misused for SDF party consolidation forgetting & neglecting routine and real objective to allow them to use these facilities at the cost of public exchequers”, held the party today.
Adding to its evaluation, the Congress said unless the tourism department specifically takes these matters seriously and assigns responsibilities to the serious, experienced and qualified manpower, the SDF should shed off the sweet dream to tackle tourism in Sikkim, as inter-state or international border tourism lay as a distant dream.
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