For the first time since independence, the Shipki La Pass – a 3,930-metre motorable mountain pass – has been thrown open to tourists and locals under a new regulated border tourism programme, offering them a peak into the culture and heritage of the tribal district of Kinnaur and its awe-inspiring surroundings.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated the ‘Border Tourism’ initiative on Monday, being only the second leader to have visited the area in nearly five decades after Yashwant Singh Parmar.
So far reserved for trade and military use, Shipki La has remained pristine in its beauty. The opportunity to explore this stunning landscape amidst Himalayan frontiers is akin to a historic moment.
The state’s CM said that his government had approached the ministry of defence for permission to start tourism in the border areas of Lepcha, Shipki-La, Giu and Rani Kanda, so as to boost the area’s economy and tourism, and were glad to have been permitted to do so.
The centuries-old trade route between India and Tibet, Shipki-La, which was closed for trade in 2020, should also be re-started, he said. “There are immense possibilities of trade and cultural exchange through this pass and the matter of restarting it would also be raised before the central government,” said Sukhu.
The chief minister opined that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra would be easiest if undertaken via the Shipki-La, an idea that he plans to propose to the centre soon.
The establishment of the Himachal Scout Battalion, which would have a special quota for the local people of the border areas of the state; setting up of an airport in the area for easier tourist access; and abolishment of the Inner Line Check Post of the military and paramilitary forces that currently creates permit-related obstacles for tourists would also be taken up with the central government, he said.
The construction of the Wangtu-Atargu-Mud-Bhaba road to connect the Lahaul-Spiti district to Kinnaur has been approved by the National Wildlife Board, informed the CM, saying it would reduce the distance between Shimla and Kaza by approximately 100 km.
Stressing upon the strategic importance of border roads, Sukhu said these increase connectivity to remote areas. An action plan to promote tourism in the border areas is also in discussion with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), he said, along with the idea of using helipads of the ITBP.
Sukhu also inaugurated the Border Forest Park at Shipki-La and visited the Indira Gandhi Point.
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