Come October and Mamata Banerjee will
create a record of sorts by becoming the first chief minister to trek
more than 12,000 feet to reach Sandakphu, the highest location in the
state.
Banerjee is expected to visit Darjeeling
this October and is keen to walk all the way up to Sandakphu, said
Trinamool Congress sources. They said the chief minister has decided to
visit Sandakphu during her three-day stay in Siliguri and Kalimpong. The
sources added Banerjee expressed her desire to travel to Sandakphu when
she was in Kalimpong two days ago for the bipartite meeting with the
GTA and the Lepcha Development Board function. The picturesque panorama
of Delo spurred her to experience more of the beauty the hills have to
offer, proffered one of the sources.
While in Kalimpong, the chief minister
walked almost 6km all the way to the top of Delo. She said she loves the
environment of the hills and the mountains as they give her an extra
boost of energy and refreshes her mind.
Sandakphu is located at the fringes of
the Singalila National Park in Darjeeling district on the West
Bengal-Sikkim border and is the highest point. The place offers a
kaleidoscopic view of the elemental grandeur of the perennially
snowcapped mountains. One can get to view world renowned peaks such as
Mount Everest, Makalu, Lhotse, Kumbhakarna, Kanchenjunga and Chomolhari
all at once. The best month to visit Sandakphu is October, a 26km trek
uphill from Maneybhanjyang, some 30-odd kilometres from Darjeeling.
Association for Conservation of Tourism
convener Raj Basu said, “I have not yet heard about the chief minister’s
decision, but if she indeed decides to trek all the way up to
Sandakphu, the gesture will encourage tourists from across the country
including Bengal. It also augurs well for tour operators.”(EOIC)
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