Concerned dept asked by CM to prepare status report
GANGTOK, September 21: The State Government has assured local traders engaged in trading over the Nathula Pass of all possible assistance and cooperation to remove existing bottlenecks hampering the trade.
This has come in response to the three-day protest undertaken by the local traders, against the non-fulfilment of the assurances made by the Central Government to revise the obsolete list of items for trade over the Nathula Pass and other related demands.
The traders, led by the Indo-China Traders Association of Sikkim, had not taken part in the trade for three days on September 13, 17 and 18.
After the report of the protest appeared in SIKKIM EXPRESS, the State Government geared up is act and the concerned departments have been directed to immediately sort out the problems plaguing the historic trade.
The District Collector, East, Vishal Chauhan, who is also the chairman of the Nathula Trade Nodel Agency, had called the members of the ICTAS for a meeting over the issue. The members of the Association met the DC here today and handed him a memorandum of their demands and grievances. Anil Kumar Gupta, general secretary, ICTAS, told journalists that the DC has assured them of immediate help in resolving the matter. “We were assured that he would initiate immediate action and resolve our pending demands,” he said.
The traders have more reasons to celebrate. Mr. Gupta revealed that the one of their demand for extension of vehicle permits to Nathula for at least a month at a stretch have been fulfilled. “The DC immediately agreed to this demand and we have been issued vehicle permits for a month,” he said. Earlier, vehicle permits to traders were given only for a week and had to be renewed on a weekly basis, much to their inconvenience.
Mr. Gupta said that the other demand for the implementation of the provision for travel permits for helpers and family members of traders have also been taken up positively by the DC. It is learnt that a proposal in this regard has been send to the Home Department for approval.
The ICTAS members also met the Director, Industries Department and also apprised him of the issue.
Following the three-day protest, the vice-president of ICTAS, Uttam Kumar Gurung had met the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling in Namchi, during which he had apprised the CM about the various bottlenecks plaguing the trade, including the demand for the immediate revision of the list of items for trade. “The CM gave us a patient hearing and has directed the concerned Department to prepare a current status report on the Nathula trade,” Mr. Gurung said.
Sources have revealed that the Director, Industries Department, will be leaving for New Delhi on September 25 to meet the officials of the Ministry of Commerce. The Director is likely to take up all the relevant issues including the demands of the traders during the meeting, most important of which would be the revision of the list of items for trade.
The ICTAS has thanked the Chief Minister and the DC for the “prompt action taken to mitigate the problems of the traders.” It has also thanked all its member traders for the “cooperation and support” during the three-day protest. “We are hopeful that once the list of items is revised, Nathula trade will flourish,” Mr. Gupta said.
Meanwhile, it has been brought to light that the allegation of harassment of traders in the hands of custom officials in Sherathang trade mart and Nathula Post is again because of the redundant list of items for trade, which is causing confusion amongst the traders and unnecessary headache to the custom officials. The traders, restricted by the obsolete items listed for trade, have no choice but to bring in items that are not listed in order to do some business. This leads to the confiscation of the items which is perceived as harassment by some traders, a reliable source has said.
GANGTOK, September 21: The State Government has assured local traders engaged in trading over the Nathula Pass of all possible assistance and cooperation to remove existing bottlenecks hampering the trade.
This has come in response to the three-day protest undertaken by the local traders, against the non-fulfilment of the assurances made by the Central Government to revise the obsolete list of items for trade over the Nathula Pass and other related demands.
The traders, led by the Indo-China Traders Association of Sikkim, had not taken part in the trade for three days on September 13, 17 and 18.
After the report of the protest appeared in SIKKIM EXPRESS, the State Government geared up is act and the concerned departments have been directed to immediately sort out the problems plaguing the historic trade.
The District Collector, East, Vishal Chauhan, who is also the chairman of the Nathula Trade Nodel Agency, had called the members of the ICTAS for a meeting over the issue. The members of the Association met the DC here today and handed him a memorandum of their demands and grievances. Anil Kumar Gupta, general secretary, ICTAS, told journalists that the DC has assured them of immediate help in resolving the matter. “We were assured that he would initiate immediate action and resolve our pending demands,” he said.
The traders have more reasons to celebrate. Mr. Gupta revealed that the one of their demand for extension of vehicle permits to Nathula for at least a month at a stretch have been fulfilled. “The DC immediately agreed to this demand and we have been issued vehicle permits for a month,” he said. Earlier, vehicle permits to traders were given only for a week and had to be renewed on a weekly basis, much to their inconvenience.
Mr. Gupta said that the other demand for the implementation of the provision for travel permits for helpers and family members of traders have also been taken up positively by the DC. It is learnt that a proposal in this regard has been send to the Home Department for approval.
The ICTAS members also met the Director, Industries Department and also apprised him of the issue.
Following the three-day protest, the vice-president of ICTAS, Uttam Kumar Gurung had met the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling in Namchi, during which he had apprised the CM about the various bottlenecks plaguing the trade, including the demand for the immediate revision of the list of items for trade. “The CM gave us a patient hearing and has directed the concerned Department to prepare a current status report on the Nathula trade,” Mr. Gurung said.
Sources have revealed that the Director, Industries Department, will be leaving for New Delhi on September 25 to meet the officials of the Ministry of Commerce. The Director is likely to take up all the relevant issues including the demands of the traders during the meeting, most important of which would be the revision of the list of items for trade.
The ICTAS has thanked the Chief Minister and the DC for the “prompt action taken to mitigate the problems of the traders.” It has also thanked all its member traders for the “cooperation and support” during the three-day protest. “We are hopeful that once the list of items is revised, Nathula trade will flourish,” Mr. Gupta said.
Meanwhile, it has been brought to light that the allegation of harassment of traders in the hands of custom officials in Sherathang trade mart and Nathula Post is again because of the redundant list of items for trade, which is causing confusion amongst the traders and unnecessary headache to the custom officials. The traders, restricted by the obsolete items listed for trade, have no choice but to bring in items that are not listed in order to do some business. This leads to the confiscation of the items which is perceived as harassment by some traders, a reliable source has said.
