Bhaichung Bhutia, president of the Hamro Sikkim Party, has written a letter to Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, drawing his attention to the poor and dangerous condition of NH10 and directing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to repair NH10 to secure the lives of people.
“I wish to draw your attention to the poor and dangerous condition of NH10 that connects Siliguri to Sikkim. The highway is appalling to an extent that we can hardly call it such. It has become the scene of frequent and fatal accidents in the recent past. The latest edition of "Road Accidents of India 2020" has highlighted that Sikkim has the highest fatality rate at 10.2, a figure that is double the national average of 5.1”, Bhaichung Bhutia wrote in his letter to Nitin Gadkari.
“According to the NRCB report of 2021, the number of road accidents has increased in Sikkim by 13%, from 108 in 2020 to 122 in 2021, with 178 people suffering injuries and 64 people sadly passing away. In 2022, till May only, 33 people died, and 72 suffered grievous injuries in road accidents. The rate of accidents and the resulting number of affected persons only continue to increase in Sikkim. Attached is an image that is sufficient to demonstrate the condition of NH10”, he further wrote in the letter.
One week ago, Rameshwar Teli, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas of India, visited Gangtok. He also remarked, “The condition of National Highway 10 From Siliguri to Rangpo is very bad. I shall write a letter to the concerned Minister about the condition of the road”.
“As a concerned citizen, these circumstances and relevant data do not augur well for our envisioned goal of a developed Sikkim. I kindly request you to instruct the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to repair NH10 to secure the lives of our people and ensure that such road accidents do not”, Bhutia added.