Sikkim can play a major role in energy market’

Sikkim can play a major role in cross-border energy trading with neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh by harnessing its hydel power potential to the full, Shyam Saran, special envoy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.

“By tapping its huge hydro-electricity potential, Sikkim can become a major supplier of power to the neighbouring countries,” Saran said in his lecture on the ‘Role of border states in India’s Foreign Relations and Regional Economic Cooperation’.

Saran, also a former foreign secretary, however resented the fact that the growth in this sector in the state had not been as fast as desired. Attributing this slackness of growth in the hydel power sector to local people opposing power projects on various accounts, Saran said ecological concerns of the people were alright but they need not fear anything if necessary safeguards were taken by the state government to protect the environment.

“Development and ecology are not necessarily contradictory to each other; what we need to ensure is strike a balance between the two,” he said.

“Being a border state, Sikkim needed better roads, rail and air connectivity to play a key role in developing closer ties with our neighbours,” he said adding that foreign policy regarding neighbouring countries had a strong domestic aspect to it.

Calling Sikkim a ‘locational asset’ as it did not only share borders with as many as three countries (China, Nepal and Bhutan) but was also close to Bangladesh, the former foreign secretary said it should integrate its endeavours in the field of connectivity to what was being done between India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh on the bilateral level.

Saran said in the post-globalisation era, the definition of the term ‘border’ had undergone a major change acquiring a far more comprehensive meaning. “Today borders don’t mean impenetrable walls between countries but points that bring them closer and connect them,” he said adding that the border states now had a bigger role to play in promoting the country’s relations with its neighbours.

Describing the opening of Nathula in East Sikkim for border trade with China as a significant development, he said the Centre was planning to develop it finally as a point for carrying out completely normal trade with China.

“While having free flow of trade through Nathula is our final objective, we will soon be expanding the list of tradable items through the route in consultation with the Chinese authorities,” he said.

Sikkim | North East Enquirer (Headlines) | Nena Home Page |