Gangtok, Aug 18 : Concerned citizen Toya Rizal has defended the Sikkim government’s proposed integrated Sikkim online tourism permit system, rejecting allegations that the Tourism Department or its permit services have been privatised.
In a public statement, Rizal said several individuals had recently made serious allegations against the Tourism Department without presenting supporting documents or factual evidence. He urged the public to understand the proposed system fully before reaching any conclusion.
Rizal clarified that the government had engaged an AI-based software platform on a rental or service basis to operate the digital permit system. He compared the arrangement to renting a house, saying that paying to use a service does not amount to owning or selling the property.
According to him, the software provider will be paid for its technological services, while the permit system, revenue and administrative control will remain with the Sikkim government.
Rizal said no payment would be deposited into a private account or transferred outside the state. All online permit fees, he maintained, would be deposited directly into the account of the Sikkim government or the concerned government department.
He also highlighted alleged revenue leakage under the existing permit mechanism. Rizal claimed that approximately 15.64 lakh tourists visited Nathula in 2025. At a fee of Rs 200 per tourist, the expected collection would have been approximately Rs 31.28 crore. However, he said only around Rs 7.64 crore was deposited with the department.
Based on the figures cited by Rizal, the difference between the expected and deposited amounts would be approximately Rs 23.64 crore. He said such revenue losses ultimately affect the public because government revenue finances salaries, welfare programmes and public services.
Explaining the benefits of the proposed system, Rizal said tourists currently have to approach different authorities for permits to visit various restricted destinations. Permits for Tsomgo Lake are obtained through the Police Department, Nathula permits are processed by the Tourism Department, while permits for destinations such as Lachen and Lachung are issued through the Mangan district administration.
Under the integrated system, applicants would be able to submit a single online application along with the required documents instead of visiting several departments and standing in multiple queues.
Rizal said local residents of Sikkim would not have to pay permit fees to visit the covered destinations. He described the exemption as one of the system’s most significant benefits for Sikkimese people.
He further claimed that vehicles registered outside Sikkim would no longer be permitted to transport tourists to destinations such as Tsomgo Lake, Nathula, Baba Mandir, Lachen and Lachung. Only eligible Sikkim-registered vehicles would be allowed to operate on these routes under the proposed arrangement.
According to Rizal, the provision would protect employment and earning opportunities for local drivers and vehicle owners. He added that only licensed Sikkim-based tour and travel operators would be authorised to process permits through the new system.
Addressing concerns over the proposed fee structure, Rizal said the higher amount should be considered on a per-vehicle basis rather than being portrayed as an individual charge.
He explained that if seven passengers in a vehicle currently pay Rs 200 each, their combined payment would amount to Rs 1,400. A vehicle-level fee of Rs 2,000 would therefore mean an additional Rs 600, which, when divided among the passengers, would result in a relatively limited increase for each tourist.
Rizal emphasised that the charges would apply to tourists arriving from outside Sikkim and not to local residents.
He said the online system would save time, reduce repeated document checks and eliminate the need to obtain stamps or approvals at multiple locations. It would also help reduce the involvement of middlemen and address alleged irregularities in the existing permit process.
Rizal said senior government and departmental officials had jointly worked on the proposed system to strengthen tourism administration, prevent revenue leakage and reduce inconvenience for residents, drivers, travel operators and tourists.
While acknowledging that every citizen has the right to question government decisions, Rizal said criticism should be based on verified facts and documentary evidence.
He invited stakeholders and members of the public to attend the government’s tourism consultation at Manan Bhawan in Gangtok, where officials are expected to provide further details about the proposed permit system.
“If people find something wrong after fully understanding the system, they have every right to raise their concerns. However, it is unfair to declare the initiative wrong without first examining the facts,” Rizal said in substance.
