Gangtok: There is no proposal to open up the Sino-India frontier at Nathu La for tourism purposes but the Centre has relaxed the guidelines under the Restricted Area Permit for domestic tourists, Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja said on Sunday.
The Inner Line Permit for foreign tourists in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh has also been relaxed to provide extended stay for visitors, she said.
The relaxation of protected area, restricted area and inner line permit regime will boost tourist inflow, she added.
Selja`s statement comes as a dampener for Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, who has been repeatedly asking the Centre to consider opening up Nathu La for international tourists.
Chamling had said the opening of Nathu La corridor for tourism will bring in much-needed domestic revenue to the border state, and at the same time will cement bilateral relations between the country and China.
The Chief Minister had earlier succeeded in persuading the Centre to reopen bilateral trade at Nathu La three years ago after a gap of 44 years.
PTI
