National

Supreme Court notice to West Bengal on Sikkim plea

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday issued notice to the West Bengal government on an application filed by the Sikkim government to ensure free movement of traffic on National Highway No. 31A to and from Sikkim following a road blockade announced by groups spearheading the Gorkhaland agitation.

A vacation Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and G.S. Singhvi issued the notice after hearing counsel A. Mariarputham for Sikkim and senior counsel P.H. Parekh for the petitioner, O.P. Bhandari, on whose public interest litigation petition, the apex court issued the notice. Counsel Raghbir Singh appeared for the Centre.

Mr. Justice Kabir told counsel that for the present, the agitation was watered down to July 6. He said: “It is a very serious issue as this highway is the key link for Sikkim. We have to hear the State of West Bengal as the agitation is on this side.”

The Bench posted the matter for further hearing to July 3 and permitted counsel for the petitioners to serve the notice on counsel for West Bengal. The applicants said due to bandhs called by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in the last few days, the entire stretch of NH-31A from Siliguri to Sikkim was closed and traffic disrupted.

This was the only national highway that connected the State with the rest of the country and due to the blockade, the people of Sikkim and thousands of tourists were stranded. The people were facing miserable conditions as even essential commodities and medicines could not reach Sikkim.

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