Gangtok, Nov. 7: Union cabinet secretary, K.M. Chandrasekhar, today assured the people of Sikkim that the Centre was working on constructing an alternative highway and improving NH31A to address the connectivity bottleneck of the state.
“We are trying to find ways for an alternative highway and improvement of the present one. We are working on several alignments. One of the possibilities is to construct the road on the other bank of the Teesta opposite the present NH31A. But perhaps a better route will be further away via Chalsa in West Bengal,” Chandrasekhar said after emerging from a meeting with chief secretary N.D. Chingapa and other senior officials of Sikkim at Chintan Bhanvan this evening.
The cabinet secretary, who arrived here in a special helicopter from Bagdogra on a two-day tour to Sikkim, said he was on a visit to oversee various projects and development activities in the state.
“The groundwork for the Pakyong airport has been completed and we are expecting that the construction will start next month.” However, the worry lies in the completion of the project within the scheduled time, said Chandrasekhar. He was accompanied by Union transport secretary Brahm Dutt and other senior officials of the central government.
The official also recalled that the Union cabinet had yesterday approved a railway link from Rangpo to Sevoke.
On his arrival, the cabinet secretary called on Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling at his official residence, Mintokgang.
“The chief minister and I have discussed the widening and upgrade of the existing national highway, the scope for an alternative and setting up of a national-level capacity building centre,” Chandrasekhar said.
The chief minister also discussed with him the airport and the railway projects and shared his ideas about developing floriculture and organic agriculture in the state. “I assured him of help for all the projects. I was quite impressed by the ideas and innovative programmes of the state government,” the cabinet secretary added.
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