Sikkim local body bans domestic tourists from entering Lachung over coronavirus fears

Sikkim had decided on March 5 not to issue inner line permits (ILP) to foreigners but imposed no restriction on the movement of people from other states.....

A local governing body in Sikkim’s Lachung, one of the most sought after tourist destinations, announced a ban on the entry of people from other states on Thursday, a week after foreigners were barred from the state in an attempt to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Travellers stand in front of the Sikkim Nationalised Transport office in Siliguri as they wait for transport following a ban put by the Sikkim government on all foreign tourists due to coronavirus outbreak, March 6, 2020. (AFP)

The local Dzomsa, a body equivalent to the panchayat system, adopted a resolution to stop the entry of tourists and workers from other states till April 15. The decision was taken considering the outbreak of coronavirus throughout the world, the Lachung Dzomsa said in the resolution signed by its head pipon.

The resolution passed by the Lachung Dzomsa has also requested the state government to stop issuing new work permits for Lachung region.

Sikkim, which shares a border with Nepal, West Bengal and Bhutan, has not reported any case of coronavirus so far. Bhutan has reported one confirmed case of infection.

In 2019, more than 12 lakh tourists visited Sikkim while the number of foreigners stood at 1,33,388. Many people from other states come to north Sikkim to work as casual and skilled labourers and require work permits.

There is no panchayat system in places like Lachen and Lachung in north Sikkim. They have Dzomsas as the local governing body established under Sikkim Government Gazette Extraordinary Notification. They have administrative powers and the state government cannot overrule decisions taken by Dzomsas.

The Lachen Dzomsa is likely to take a similar decision soon, an owner of a hotel in Lachen said on condition of anonymity. Lachen is also a hotspot for tourists.

“Lachung Dzomsa’s decision has come as a shock. It will badly affect tourists who are in the region and hit the business as well,” Avijit Sengupta, the owner of Magellan which runs six hotels including one each at Lachen and Lachung, said.

“Some tourists were allowed to stay at Lachung on Thursday but they will have to vacate on Friday,” he said.

“Lachung is one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Sikkim and there are hundreds of tourists at present,” said Tanmoy Goswami, a tour operator.

Though other parts of Sikkim are allowing Indian tourists, the ban on their entry to Lachen and Lachung will hit the industry, said Goswami.

Sikkim had decided on March 5 not to issue inner line permits (ILP) to foreigners but imposed no restriction on the movement of people from other states.