Gangtok: Congress, the main opposition party of Sikkim, today accused the state government of failing to end excessive interference of people from West Bengal in tourism related activities in the state.
''The hospitality industry in the state is virtually being run by the non-Sikkimese specially by people from West Bengal in the absence of a well-defined policy preventing locals from leasing out their hospitality businesses to outsiders,'' Chairman of the grievance cell of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee S K Bardewa told PTI here today.
Pointing out that this had led to a situation where tour and travel agents from outside the state were flourishing at the cost of the local entrepreneurs Bardewa said if something was not done immediately to stop it the state's economy would be ruined.
''Leasing out business to the non-Sikkimese leads to misdirection of Central funds as the money meant for the development of tourism in the state flows out of it leaving local entrepreneurs high and dry'', Bardewa said adding that the practise of leasing out hotels, lodges and restaurants to the non-Sikkimese must immediately be stopped.
However, he charged the state government with doing absolutley nothing about it.
''It is painful to see that the state tourism board still remains unfazed by the situation,'' he said.
''The hospitality industry in the state is virtually being run by the non-Sikkimese specially by people from West Bengal in the absence of a well-defined policy preventing locals from leasing out their hospitality businesses to outsiders,'' Chairman of the grievance cell of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee S K Bardewa told PTI here today.
Pointing out that this had led to a situation where tour and travel agents from outside the state were flourishing at the cost of the local entrepreneurs Bardewa said if something was not done immediately to stop it the state's economy would be ruined.
''Leasing out business to the non-Sikkimese leads to misdirection of Central funds as the money meant for the development of tourism in the state flows out of it leaving local entrepreneurs high and dry'', Bardewa said adding that the practise of leasing out hotels, lodges and restaurants to the non-Sikkimese must immediately be stopped.
However, he charged the state government with doing absolutley nothing about it.
''It is painful to see that the state tourism board still remains unfazed by the situation,'' he said.
(Press Trust of India)
