DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING MONTAINEERING AND TREKKING EXPEDITIONS IN THE STATE OF SIKKIM
INTRODUCTION : Any proposal for undertaking a mountaineering or trekking expedition in the Sikkim Himalayas must, in the first instance, be submitted to the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) at Delhi, which is the apex body authorised by the Union government to deal with all such cases. The application to the IMF must be made in the prescribed form alongwith all the requisite supporting documents. The IMF will thereafter refer the proposal to the State Government and to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Defence in the Government of India.
Foreigners entering Sikkim are required to be in possession of Inner Line Permits besides valid passports and visas to enter the countries which are issued after the proposal is given clearance of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
Most of the areas in Sikkim are close to the International Border and the clearance of the Ministry of Defence is also mandatory or else the Ministry units will not permit access.
There are several peaks including Mt.Kangchendzonga which have been declared as "sacred" and the State Government does not permit scaling of such peaks under any circumstances.
TO SUMMARISE. The proposal to undertake mountaineering or trekking will have to be cleared by the following:-
-
Indian Mountaineering Foundation, New Delhi
- Ministry of Home Affairs, GOI, New Delhi
- Ministry of Defence, GOI, New Delhi
- State Government of Sikkim.
- PROCEDURE FOR APPLICATION: The applicant is required to apply to the IMF at Delhi in the prescribed format with the requisite supporting documents at least three months prior to the date of actual commencement of the expedition.
- REFERENCES TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT: Reference to the State Government will have to be made through the Indian Mountaineering Foundation and proposal received directly will not be taken up for consideration. A centralized single window clearance system has been set up and all references to the State Government should be addressed to the Resident Commissioner of Sikkim, Sikkim House, Chanakyapuri, 12 Panchsheel Marg, New Delhi - 110 021.
- STATE GOVERNMENT CLEARANCE: The clearance of the State Government is accorded in two stages.
- Proposals referred to the State Government by the IMF will be examined by the Home Department, Government of Sikkim at Gangtok and if approved, state 1 clearance will be issued and intimation sent to the MHA and IMF and the office of the Resident Commissioner of Sikkim at Delhi.
- Once the proposal has been cleared by IMF, MHA and MDO the applicants are required to contact the office of the Resident Commissioner, Sikkim House, 12 Panchsheel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi for obtaining the final clearance. At this stage the applicants will be required to pay the fees prescribed by the State Government of Sikkim and to sign an undertaking to the effect that they will abide by all the terms and conditions prescribed. On fulfillment of the conditions laid down, the Resident Commissioner of Sikkim at Delhi will issue the final clearance on behalf of the State Government.
- LIAISON OFFICERS: The liaison officers for the mountaineering and trekking expeditions are provided by the State Government for which the applicants are required to pay the prescribed fees. The persons detailed for duty as Liaison Officers are well trained and have considerable experience. The L O. will joint the expedition team at Delhi and will accompany the expedition team for the entire duration of the trip and return with the team to Delhi on termination of the expedition. The travel expenses of the Liaison Officer for his journey from Sikkim to Delhi for joining the team and for his return journey from Delhi to Sikkim on completion of the expedition will have to be borne by the expedition team.
- TIME SCHEDULE FOR PROCESSING APPLICATIONS: The State Government will require three weeks form the date of receipt of the proposal by the office of the Resident Commissioner at Delhi for it to issue the state I clearance. The processing of papers for grant of final clearance can be done within a week provided all the requisite papers are in order.
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