Sikkim Governor meets head members of Mangan district to discuss tourism, road connectivity

Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur, on September 24 met 'Pipons' and 'Dzumsa' members of Mangan district at Dzumsa Hall in Lachen, to discuss road connectivity and tourism-related issues affecting the district.

Mangan District Collector Anant Jain had met representatives of various stakeholders to discuss the resumption of tourism activities in the district, officials informed.

The South Lonak Lake GLOF which took place in October last year has caused significant damage to Lachen. 

Tourism activities in Mangan district were suspended in June this year following heavy rains for days which destroyed the road network in the district.

During the meeting, the governor assured the community that he would bring their concerns to the attention of the central government and praised the residents of Mangan for constructing a temporary bridge to restore connectivity and highlighted the community's resilience during the recent floods and commended their efforts to maintain stability during challenging times.

Furthermore, he also expressed his commitment to raising concerns regarding Lachen's distress in the Bharatmala project with the Central Government. 

Governor Mathur emphasised the importance of timely infrastructure repairs and urged the community to support the district administration and Army officials in expediting construction and development projects.

Mangan District Collector Anant Jain outlined the challenges faced by Lachen due to road closures and its impact on tourism. 

It must be mentioned that the 'Pipon' is an elected headman of a self-government system who chairs the community meeting, while the Dzumsa is a traditional, self-governing system in the villages of Lachen and Lachung in North Sikkim.

Earlier, on September 23, Jain and local officials had held a meeting with 'Pipons' and 'Dzumsa' members in Lachen to discuss the reopening of tourism activities in Lachen and the issue related to road infrastructure in the picturesque town.

The collector briefed the local leaders about the restoration of the road network in the district under the Bharatmala project to improve road infrastructure in the region.
(With PTI inputs)