The Hindu Business Line : Sikkim to help ease Nathula trade bottlenecks

This has come in response to the three-day protest undertaken by local traders against the non-fulfilment of assurances given by the Centre to revise the obsolete list of items for trade through Nathula and other related demands.

The traders, led by the Indo- China Traders Association of Sikkim (ICTAS), had not taken part in trading for three days on September 13, 17 and 18. The District Collector, East District, Mr Vishal Chauhan, who is also chairman of the Nathula Trade Nodal Agency, had called the members of the ICTAS for a meeting on the issue.

Association members Mr Chauhan today and handed him a memorandum of their demands and grievances. Anil Kumar Gupta, general secretary of the association , told Business Line that Mr Chauhan had assured them of immediate help in resolving the matter. "We were assured that he would initiate immediate action and resolve our pending demands."

The traders have more reasons to celebrate. Mr Gupta revealed that the demand for extension of vehicle permits to Nathula for at least a month at a stretch had been conceded. Earlier, vehicle permits to traders were given only for a week and had to be renewed on a weekly basis. Mr Gupta said that the demand for implementation of the provision for travel permits for helpers and family members of traders had also been taken up positively by the Government. It is learnt that a proposal in this regard has been sent to the State Home Department for approval.

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