Tourism infrastructure to get a boost with slew of projects on the anvil

GOVT LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING ANOTHER IHM AS IT TAKES UP SEVERAL TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS 
GANGTOK, 13 Jan: The State government is looking at starting another hotel management institute in the State, it is informed. A new Institute of Hotel Management is to come up in the Hathi-Dhunga block of West Sikkim, constructed by the Tourism Department.
The Department, it is learnt, has already begun the process of acquiring nearly 4 hectares of land in the area. If it does come up, this will be the second IHM in the State, the first being the one at Rumtek. In fact it is informed that more and more youth are being attracted to the hospitality industry and especially with Sikkim being a tourist state the government is promoting this particular sector so that more youth can find gainful employment.
Several projects have been initiated by the State government through the Tourism department for the promotion of tourism and tourism-related infrastructure here in the past couple of months, it is further learnt.
The government plans to develop a hot spring in Dzongu, with the Tourism Department having put up such a proposal to be taken up in Lingdem block of Upper Dzongu in North Sikkim for tourism promotion in the area.
For this purpose, the Department is in the process of acquiring land in the area.
The Tourism department, in its endeavour to promote tourism in Sikkim, is also in the process to develop tourism related infrastructure at Luing near Gangton in East Sikkim for which it is acquiring another 3 hectares of land.
In addition to this, the department is also acquiring another around 2.5 hectares for the development of a tourism project at Simick, East Sikkim.
A Heliport, car park along with an approach road is also being constructed by the department at Ringhem above Mangan in North Sikkim. A tourist resort is being constructed at Deu, South Sikkim on half a hectare plot and the construction of a car parking facility near Rumtek Gumpa is also being undertaken.
Other projects being undertaken by the department include the installation of a ropeway station at Namchi bazaar and Singithang, South Sikkim. A Tenzing Hillary Park is also being developed at Maneybong, Uttarey, West Sikkim for which 4 hectares land was recently acquired by the department.