Border traders demand restoration of road

NATHULA TRADERS WELFARE ASSC WRITES TO COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPT, DC EAST, GREF
GANGTOK, 14 May: The Nathula Traders Welfare Association [NTWA] recently submitted a memorandum to the Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department, District Collector [East], Chief Engineer, GREF seeking early restoration of the road to Nathula which has been closed ever since it was hit by heavy snowfall and landslides last month, leading to a situation where although the border trade is officially open for the year, no trading has taken place thus far this season.
General Secretary of the association, Lakpa Sherpa, informs that GREF Assistant Chief Engineer has assured the reopening of the road by 21 May. “GREF has assured to construct another road just above the main road for smooth functioning of traffic,” he said.
Informing that traders face severe traffic problems during peak tourist season, he said that they have further demanded for one-way traffic at the Sherathang Trade Mart. Border trade over Nathula plays out from 01 May to 31 November, which is also the peak tourist season in the state.
It may be mentioned here that every year the road gets blocked during this season which causes a heavy loss both in terms of trade as well as tourism. Tourist operators have estimated the loss to be in crores every year.
Traders face multiple problems of which lack of proper public toilet facilities is a big problem at Nathula. Traders are using toilets of the immigration and customs office. “We have decided that another delegation will approach the Secretary Commerce and Industries to further press the demands. We will place our demands especially on these problems as they are badly affecting the border trade,” said Mr Sherpa.
On behalf of the association, he expressed gratitude toward the government for revising the list of border trade items. “The fulfillment of this long pending demand of ours will help us in many ways,” he said. The Commerce and Industries Ministry has recently given green signal to revise the trade list.
The recently registered association has 130 traders as members, the General Secretary informed.