Sikkim’s rail link project faces hurdles as GTA sets preconditions to issue NOC

The project requires 86.61 of land inside Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in Darjeeling district and other forest areas within GTA territory.

The project to bring Sikkim into the railway map of India is stuck due to a slew of demands raised by Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) to give the mandatory no objection certificate for tracks to pass through forest land.

The rail link is vital for the landlocked hill state, which shares its border with three neighbouring countries--China, Nepal and Bhutan. Incidentally, China is rapidly expanding its railway connectivity to the border.

“The rail line will serve defence needs apart from that of civilian transportation,” said Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling.

The strategic state also does not have any functional airport.

The proposed broad gauge line between Sevoke in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim are to cover a distance of 44.98-km, of which 41.54 km falls in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts of West Bengal administered by the GTA, while only 3.44 km is in Sikkim.

Then railway minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation stone of the Rs 1,339.48 crore project in 2009. It was to be completed by 2015.

The project requires 86.61 of land inside Mahananda Wild Life Sanctuary in Darjeeling district and other forest areas within GTA territory.

In February 2016, the Supreme Court allowed changing the status of 8.84 hectares of forest land within the wildlife sanctuary. It also asked the Bengal government to denotify the area within two months.

“Though the forest department agreed on principle to give its nod, the status of the land could not be changed in the absence of no- objection certificate from the GTA,” said Tshering Thendup Bhutia, the additional general manager of Indian Railway Constuction Comapan (IRCON), the implementing agency.