Sikkim MP urges Centre to fast-track border road, seeks update on Limboo-Tamang seat reservation

Sikkim's lone Lok Sabha MP, Indra Hang Subba, on July 8 urged the Centre to expedite a strategically important road project along the India-Nepal border and sought an update on the long-pending reservation of Assembly seats for the Limboo and Tamang Scheduled Tribes.

During a meeting with Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan in New Delhi, Subba submitted a detailed representation highlighting several key issues concerning the state, according to a statement issued by his office.

The MP called for priority to be accorded to the proposed all-weather road connecting Border Outpost (BOP) Nambu with Border Pillar 34/1 and extending to BOP Hanspokhri. He said the project is vital for improving connectivity, strengthening military logistics and enhancing operational preparedness along the India-Nepal border.

Subba also raised the long-pending demand for reservation of Assembly seats for the Limboo and Tamang communities, which were included in the Scheduled Tribes list in 2003 but are yet to receive political reservation in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.

Acknowledging that the matter is political and falls beyond the Home Secretary's direct jurisdiction, the MP sought an update on the steps being taken by the Centre to move the issue forward.

In addition, Subba highlighted the difficult working conditions faced by personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal deployed in the region and urged the Centre to extend the Risk and Hardship (R1H1) Allowance to personnel of the 36th and 72nd Battalions, who are serving in high-altitude and glacial terrain.

The memorandum underscored the need for enhanced infrastructure and welfare measures for border personnel while reiterating the long-standing aspirations of the Limboo and Tamang communities for legislative representation.