India News | MP Subba Urges Centre to Expedite Construction of Alternative Highway to North Sikkim

Gangtok, Jul 25 (PTI) Sikkim's Lok Sabha MP Indra Hang Subba met MoS for Defence Sanjay Seth in New Delhi on Friday, and sought his intervention to expedite the construction of an alternative highway to the northern part of the state.

Subba highlighted the strategic, developmental, and humanitarian significance of the proposed route, stressing that the current connectivity between Gangtok and Zeema via Chungthang and Lachen remains highly vulnerable to frequent landslides, weather-related disruptions, and difficult terrain, a statement said.

Also Read | India Open To Share AI Models With Global South, Country's Linguistic Diversity Can Help in Natural Language Processing Development: IT Secretary S Krishnan.

He informed the minister that he had recently held a detailed discussion with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on the challenges surrounding road infrastructure in North Sikkim.

While the BRO has shown readiness to advance the proposal, he emphasised that timely support from the Ministry of Defence would be crucial in accelerating approvals and execution in coordination with the state government, the statement said.

Also Read | Poonch Blast: Agniveer Killed, 2 Others Soldiers Injured in Landmine Explosion Near LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

"In its current state, the road to North Sikkim remains fragile, often cutting off local communities from essential services and affecting defence preparedness," said Subba.

"An alternative highway will ensure year-round access, boost regional development, and serve as a critical strategic asset in view of the sensitive border areas nearby," he added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)