Kanchenjunga open for expedition
The Home Ministry has opened the Kanchenjunga for mountaineering and trekking expeditions following a proposal from the Ministry of Tourism. 24 peaks in Sikkim including Kanchenjunga main and Kanchenjunga south have been thrown open to public for tourists.
Tourists and mountaineers can now directly apply at the Indian Mountaineering Foundation for obtaining their permits to access the mountains. This move comes after a petition by the tourism ministry which sought to expand horizons to increase revenue.
However, the news came as a shock to the people of Sikkim with local groups urging the Government to preserve the sanctity of the mountains.
Mt.Kanchenjunga is now open for expeditions. A decision made without consulting Sikkim. The lepchas (first aboriginal tribe of Sikkim are nature worshippers). For them, it is an identity, their guardian deity.
Can we commercialize and capitalize something that’s sacred? pic.twitter.com/XLYqwxjU1H
— Spurthi kolipaka (@SpurthiKolipaka) August 23, 2019
In addition to this, peaks in Kashmir, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh have also been made open for tourists and visitors.
Power Tussle
Ten MLA’s from the Sikkim Democratic Front joined the Bharatiya Janata Party as BJP emerge as the leading opposition party in Sikkim. The MLAs met BJP president JP Nadda and joined the party in the presence of Ram Madhav, in charge of the saffron party’s affairs in the North East.
The news comes as a huge blow to SDF chief Pawan Kumar Chamling, whose 24-year tenure up to May made him the country’s longest-serving chief minister, as the party’s only MLA.
Dorjee Tshering Lepcha, a five time MLA and a three time minister in the Chamling tenure, and Ugen Gyatso, a three time MLA, were among the MLAs who left the Sikkim Democratic front to join the BJP
Despite failing to win a single seat in the elections, BJP looks set to win the bypoll elections in three constituencies which are to be held in October.
10 MLAs of Sikkim Democratic Front join BJP in the presence of Shri @rammadhavbjp at BJP HQ. #BJPMembership pic.twitter.com/yVcF84qOOg
— BJP (@BJP4India) August 13, 2019
Yadav has been awarded the ‘Excellence in Governance Award’ for his work in adopting five villages and achieving 100 per cent in all aspects of development.