A REJOINDER TO MR BARDEWA AND MR PD RAI

Letter:
Over the last couple of years the tourism industry has suffered due to the political unrest in the neighboring state of W Bengal. Lately Mr. Satish Bardewa, president of Travel Agents of Association of Sikkim, and Mr. P.D.Rai honorable member of Parliament have expressed his concern about the negative impact the recent confrontation between SDF and Golay supporters at Namthang, will have on the tourism industry of Sikkim and particularly with respect to West and South Sikkim. However we being concerned citizens and tourism stakeholders of Sikkim would like to ask the following questions to Mr. Bardewa and Mr. P.D.Rai
1. In most trade fairs and in major advertisement brochures the Tourism department advertises and markets Sikkim with the slogan “Switzerland of the East”. Now many people without having visited Switzerland do have a fair idea of what the country looks like, courtesy Bollywood. Do you feel that the roads in Sikkim make us feel proud to say that yes Sikkim is indeed the Switzerland of the East? You might say that the maintenance of NH.31A is the responsibility of Border Roads Organization but then what about the road to Pelling, Ravangla. Do you even know that these places fall in the South and West District?
2. With respect to infrastructure did you know that the hoteliers in Pelling, Rincheypong and Ravangla have to purchase truckloads of water every tourist season? And by the way please remember these places are in West and South Sikkim.
3. Even after the hydel NHPC project in West Sikkim becoming operational a long time ago yet every tourist season Pelling and Ravangla suffers severe power shortage with the tourist having to spend holiday time in their rooms with the light provided from a burning candle. Is it another means of reinforcing that we are an eco destination or is it not quite ironical that even the tourists who come to visit Sikkim, have to find their way in the darkness with the light provided by a burning candle. They face a situation quite similar to what the ordinary folks of the state have been experiencing for the last 18 years courtesy of the democracy that has been ushered in by our Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, when he a lit a candle in the state assembly.
4. Recently all tourism stake holders of Sikkim have come under the purview of the Service Tax of the central govt. of India. Almost all major tour operators and hoteliers protested the levying of such taxes as it would have made our destination more expensive to a visitor in comparison to other destinations. We made our presentation to the Tourism Minister and Chief Minister yet apart from assurances that they will look into our problems nothing has come about and we are now being forced to pay taxes. This one act of the govt. has done more harm to the tourism industry then what the Namthang incident has done.
5. In the recent past all vehicle owners of Sikkim including vehicles owned by Tour Operators had to convert their old vehicle registration numbers to new high security numbers. The charges that we had to pay for the new high security number were four times higher than the average rate paid by people in other parts of the country. Did it not occur to you then that something was not right in our state or did you feel that the citizens of Sikkim could afford to pay such exorbitant rates. Does it mean that you have whole heartedly accepted that Sikkim has in fact reached the same living and income standard as that of Switzerland?
6. In Ranka, Smt. Pratibha Sinha had inaugurated the Ranka Tourist Centre built at a cost of Rs. 50 crores approximately. We would like to thank the Govt. of India for setting up the Ranka Tourist Centre. However could you please ask the Govt. of Sikkim and the Chief Minister, who also happens to hold the portfolio of Finance, as to what is the total amount of revenues earned from the operation of the Ranka Tourist Centre, the no. of locals employed and in how many years they expect to break even? The only person who we presume had the foresightedness to expect the Ranka Tourist Centre to contribute immensely to the Tourism of Sikkim was Mr. Jhunjhunwala.
7. In April 2011 the ruling SDF party had called a two-day strike to protest labour issues in the various Pharmaceutical Companies. It was peak tourist season and many people in the tourism industry lost an opportunity to earn their livelihood due to the bandh. When the president of Sikkim Hotel and Restaurant Association made an appeal to keep the tourism industry outside the purview of the bandh he was threatened and scolded in various political meetings. Did it not occur to you then to raise your voice against such bandhs.
Arthur S. Targain, Bhanu Rasaily, Roshan Pradhan, Roshan Silal, Navraj Gurung, Samrat Pradhan, Basudev Upreti, T.Wangyal [recvd on email]