Shimla: Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has asked the external affairs ministry to intervene for exploring an alternate route to Kailash Mansarovar that goes through Satluj valley, a route which was more convenient and of shorter length.
The chief minister in a letter to SM Krishna has asked the external affairs minister to consider the alternate pilgrimage route to the holy Kailash Mansarovar lake, which was only 91 kilometers from Shipki La, a trading post on Indo-Tibet border in Kinnaur district.
What’s more the last mile journey was motorable and well maintained by the Chinese authorities. Through Shimla it is a two day journey to Shipki La from Delhi and on the third day one could reach the holy site, drastically reducing the journey time from the existing route, he said.
Dhumal has pointed out that the present Delhi-Kailash Mansarovar route, passing through Lipulekh Pass and other arduous terrain was 865 kilometers, to which the Indian and Chinese government had agreed upon in 1981.
In more than three decades no changes have been made nor any alternate routes been approved, the chief minister states.
Approval of an alternate route to Kailash-Mansarovar through Himachal Pradesh would boost tourism and generate employment avenues, besides reviving the old trade links between India and Tibet that have gone cold for many years in Satluj valley.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
