New Delhi: Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay visited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give him the Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) report, which put the recovery and reconstruction budget for the state from a glacial lake outburst flood at an estimated Rs 3673.25 crore.
The Chief Minister stressed the necessity for a long-term fix for National Highway 10, Sikkim's only vital route, in a social media post. The highway was devastated following the flood and the monsoon of 2024.
"Considering the strategic significance of NH-10, I suggested assigning its upkeep to a Central Agency such as NHAI/NHIDCL and asked for a long-term solution to its frequent disruptions," he said. "In addition, I requested immediate action to repair NH-310A, which links Gangtok to the border with China, in light of the recent cloudbursts in North Sikkim."
Golay also suggested enhancing connectivity via the Himalayan Railway Line during the discussion with the PM. He added, "A proposal to develop a Himalayan Railway Line between Bakrakote in West Bengal and Rorathang in Sikkim, along with historical correspondence from 1917, was also presented."
Sikkim's proposal to construct a multimodal corridor with an integrated checkpost at Chewa Bhanjyang connecting Sikkim with eastern Nepal was also given to the PM.
The long-standing requests for tribal recognition for twelve indigenous communities, a seat reservation for Limboo-Tamang in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, and the arrival of Ogyen Trinley Dorji, the 17th Karmapa, to Sikkim, were also given by the Sikkim Chief Minister.
He invited the PM to attend the 50th Statehood Day ceremony on May 16, as the primary guest. The PM is rumored to have accepted the offer.
Golay also praised the PM's "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign, which plants a sapling in remembrance of mothers in order to spread awareness of environmental conservation. Sikkim will observe this initiative on July 7, he continued.
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