Darjeeling,
June 2: If the Sikkim government has its way, tourists would
be able to visit China-controlled Tibet without a visa.
Waking up to the trade and tourism potential
waiting to be tapped once Nathu-la is reopened, the Pawan
Chamling government is mulling over introducing transit passes
that will allow visitors to visit the Roof of the World.
The state has already made provisions for
traders to save them the trouble of going through the formalities
of procuring a visa to enter China.
`All that an Indian businessman needs to
do is obtain a trade pass from the commerce and industries
department of Sikkim,`said Mahendra P. Lama, the chief economic
adviser of Sikkim.
`Those having the pass can go to Lhasa,
the capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, for trading
purposes. We are thinking of introducing a transit pass for
tourists once Nath-la is reopened,` he added.
Sikkim is expected to reap rich dividends
from the tourism sector if the Chinese government accepts
the transit-pass proposal. Gangtok is around 527 km from Lhasa
and many tourists are expected to use the route to visit the
mystic land.
The hill state is also looking forward to
attracting visitors who use the Kathmandu-Lhasa route, a backbreaking
1,300-km journey. `We have not spoken to the Chinese authorities
on the issue of the transit pass because we will need to work
out a complete agreement. But dialogue is expected to begin
soon,` Lama said.
The process can be initiated only when the
Sikkim government gets the nod from the external affairs ministry.
Hopeful that the suggestion will not be
shot down, the Sikkim government has begun giving serious
thought to the impact the tourism boom will have on the environment.
`We are studying the effect large-scale tourism will have
on the state, which is well-known for its pristine environment.
We will come up with ways to ensure that the tourist traffic
does not take a toll on the greens,` Lama said.
Lama, who has been given a cabinet rank,
will also lead a four-member team, comprising C.B. Nagarathan,
the convener of the National Security Advisory Board, former
foreign secretary Muchkund Dubey and S. Sen, deputy-director
general of the Confederation of Indian Industry, on a reconnaissance
tour of the proposed trade route within the next three weeks.
Lama has visited Lipu Lekh in Uttaranchal and Shipkila Pass
in Himachal Pradesh, which was opened for trade with China
in 1992.
Sikkim is also working on ways to maximise
the flow of revenue to the hill population and is studying
the items that the state can trade with China.
`In the pre-1962 period, India used Nathu-la
to export beef, pork and incense sticks and import wool. The
trade route, once reopened, will also benefit countries like
Bangladesh, which uses the maritime trade route,`Lama said.
Courtesy
The Telegraph |
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