Samdong-Gangtok road in need of urgent repairs

MANGAN, 01 June: The people of different villages of Samdong-Kambal and Rakdong-Tintek GPUs have expressed their gratitude to the PWD Department for developing the alternate route linking these villages to the capital. However, the residents of these villages also want to bring to the notice of the department that there is need for proper maintenance of the Samdong-Gangtok road.
The Samdong-Gangtok road via Pangthang is an important link for the entire North Sikkim and is in dire need of maintenance. This route is much shorter and easier for the commuters plying to North Sikkim and apart from it, the tourist vehicles, the VIPs and VVIPs plying to North Sikkim from the capital also use this route as there are very few slides along this stretch.
The 26-km Samdong-Gangtok road which was black topped many years back is now in urgent need of repair. This stretch has a total of 49 culverts which need to be patched up and the carpeting on the road has worn out as well.
President, Rukdong Iytbu Numpu Azum [RINA], a Rakdong based NGO, Topden Tshering Lepcha, while speaking to NOW! expressed that once repaired this would make it very convenient for the local people especially in times of emergency.