Gangtok: Sikkim tourism minister R.B. Subba is on a weeklong trek to the western part of the state, personally checking out the facilities available to trekkers along the trails there.
The minister left for the trek on May 2 and is expected to return to Gangtok on Wednesday.
According to official sources, the minister is resting today in Tshoka, a village about 18 km above Yuksom, after a six-hour walk to Goechala. Situated at a height of 5,000 m Goechala is close to the southern face of the Kanchenjunga. He returned to Tshoka through Thangshing, the transit point between Dzongri and Goechala. Subba covered Dablakhang and Dzongri last week.
The trekking trails in this part of the state are situated at over 4,200 m and provides some of the most spectacular views of the Kanchenjunga.
The minister, who is taking stock of the facilities around the trekking trails that need repair and renovation, was here two years ago on a similar exercise. On the basis of his findings on the earlier trip, the state government had sanctioned Rs 60 lakh for the repairs of the roads and upgrade of other basic amenities. This time, he is also inspecting the extent of work carried out so far with that money.
Subba is accompanied by a senior tourism official, several technocrats from the tourism department, a forest official and senior tourist guides who are experts of the area and guiding the minister on the trails.
Unlike his earlier trip, which saw bad weather on several days and bad stretches of road, the group this time was blessed with sunny and clear skies. The minister will head downhill for Yuksom on his way back to the state capital tomorrow.
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