Minister for Railways, Communications, and Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnav today reiterated that the Himalayan state of Sikkim would be included in the country’s railway map by December 2024.

The minister also announced that Sikkim would also be getting 5G connectivity by 15 August this year.

On a visit to Sikkim, Mr Vaishnav today inspected the ongoing 45-km SivokRangpo railway project that seeks to connect the state with the country’s rail network from Sivok near Siliguri in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim.

During his visit to the project site at Rangpo, the minister interacted with senior officials of the Northeast Frontier Railway and the technical team of IRCON, which has been building the rail project.

The Minister was briefed on the proposed master plan of the project. The Minister then inspected tunnel No 14, which is located on the Sikkim side. The remaining 13 tunnels under the project fall on the Bengal side, a state government official said.

Mr Vaishnav was received by MN Sherpa, the state Minister for Transport Department, YT Lepcha, MLA and Chairman (SRRP, NF Railway), KK Thatal, along with Pakyong district DC, SDPO Rangpo, and other officials.

The Minister wrapped up his three-day visit to the state at Rangpo today.

On Tuesday, Minister Vaishnav arrived at Lachung in Mangan District, where he was accorded a warm and traditional welcome by Area MLA and Minister for Roads and Bridges Samdup Lepcha. He was also presented with a traditional attire by the Pipon (village head) of Lachung.

The Chief Guest, Union Minister, addressing the gathering, expressed his gratitude towards the people of Lachung for the warm welcome. He highlighted the purpose of his visit to go to villages in border areas. He expressed the need to understand the needs and demands of the people living there so that they may bring about necessary development such as tele-connectivity, road connectivity and many such developmental projects under the central scheme of Vibrant Village Programme, the IPR, Sikkim, said in a statement.

Listening to the grievances placed before him by the people of Lachung, an affirmative solution to the broadband connection within the next three months was assured. He also assured the establishment of ‘Vande Bharat’ train station infrastructure in Sikkim by 2024, the statement added.