Hoping for cooperation of West Bengal, Nitin Gadkari asks for transfer of maintenance and management of NH 10 to NHIDCLT

 The highs and lows of National Highway 10

PRAKASH ADHIKARI, EOI, GANGTOK, AUGUST 8, 2024: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has asked the Ministry immediately to transfer the maintenance and management authority of National Highway 10 to the Central agency National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation, Lok Sabha M.P. from Sikkim Indra Hang Subba said in a press release issued on Thursday.

“This fulfills a key demand of Sikkim, which had been strongly placed by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay recently with the Centre.” Indra Hang Subba on Thursday met Nitin Gadkari at his office at the Parliament and submitted a memorandum seeking an urgent transfer of the NH10 stretch from Rangpo to Sevoke from the West Bengal PWD to any Central agency under the MoRTH for effective repair and upgradation.

“At the meeting, the Union Minister asked the MoRTH officials immediately to transfer the NH10 stretch from Rangpo to Sevoke to NHIDCL from West Bengal PWD. The officials informed the Union Minister that many high-level meetings had been conducted regarding the NH10 transfer. The Union Minister informed that the NH10 transfer would be done soon,” Indra Hang Subba said.

The Sikkim M.P. thanked the Union Minister for his proactive step of directing the NH10 transfer to the NHIDCL. He said that in view of its present status after the flash flood of 2023, the NH10 needed a new road alignment and tunnels at the vulnerable stretches to ensure the highway was resilient to climate change and remained operational constantly.

“The significance of NH10 cannot be overemphasized both for the people of Sikkim and national security. The development and maintenance of this route will not only improve the quality of life for the people but also ensure strategic readiness in times of need,” said the Lok Sabha MP. Gadkari assured the Sikkim MP that strengthening and re-alignment of NH10 would be done after the entire highway was brought under NHIDCL.

NH10 is the principal route connecting Sikkim with Siliguri and the rest of India. The Gangtok to Rangpo stretch of NH10 in Sikkim is already under NHIDCL, while the Rangpo to Sevoke stretch is looked after by the West Bengal PWD.

Since the onset of the monsoon in June, the Rangpo-Sevoke stretch has witnessed multiple landslides and subsidence of road, closing Sikkim’s sole highway connectivity for weeks. The highway’s vulnerability to landslides has been further exacerbated by rising water levels of the river Teesta following the flash flood of October 2023.

“The transfer of NH10 to a Central agency like NHIDCL would provide huge relief to Sikkim and its people who are totally dependent on this highway. Our Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay had strongly taken up this particular demand with the Centre, resulting in proactive steps from the MoRTH,” Indra Hang Subba said. He stressed that the demand for transfer of NH10 should not be painted as a point of conflict between the governments of Sikkim and West Bengal.

“Some may try to give a narrative on social media that this demand is a clash with the West Bengal government. It is wrong to see this demand in that perspective. We are saying NH10 is an interstate highway. It will also benefit West Bengal and is the lifeline of Sikkim. This is not a clash between the Sikkim and Bengal governments. We must see it as a win-win situation for both governments, and hence, we are optimistic that the Bengal government will agree to this,” the Lok Sabha MP said.