Gangtok: 11th Jan : Komal Chamling ,Incharge, Women’s Wing Sikkim Democratic Front,has raised some issues related to Tourism Fund and it’s use.Shw has said, ‘The Sikkim Democratic Front demands clear and immediate answers from the Tourism Department and the SKM Government on the following:
1. Visito Ventures was engaged to develop the software and GIS infrastructure for the Atithi App. Such services are ordinarily compensated through a clearly defined contractual fee. On what legal or policy basis is Visito Ventures being allotted 40% of the TSD Fund collected from tourists?
2. What is the exact flow of funds collected through the Atithi App? Are these funds first credited to the Tourism Department’s account, or are they directly transferred to Visito Ventures?
3. Was any tender or competitive bidding process followed in the selection of Visito Ventures as the service provider? If so, the details must be disclosed immediately.
4. Why was a private entity engaged when the State’s own IT Department could have developed and managed the GIS system? What justified bypassing in-house technical capacity in favour of an external company?
These unanswered questions point to gross financial mismanagement and the possible misuse of public funds by the SKM Government.
The SDF further notes with grave concern that the SKM Government has repeatedly entrusted public systems and statutory mechanisms to newly formed private companies, effectively turning Sikkim into an experimental hub for first-time ventures, without adequate scrutiny, accountability, or transparency.
The continued diversion of 40% of a statutory tourism fund to a private company raises serious questions of corruption, collusion, and institutional failure within the Tourism Department and the SKM Government. The Sikkim Democratic Front therefore demands that the SKM Government immediately:
•Place all agreements, contracts, and revenue-sharing arrangements with Visito Ventures in the public domain
•Disclose the complete financial trail of the TSD Fund, including collection, allocation, and expenditure
•Clearly explain the legal and policy basis for revenue-sharing from a statutory public fund
Furthermore, the collection of the TSD Fund is causing severe difficulties for tourism stakeholders and has also become a nuisance for visitors, thereby damaging the image of Sikkim beyond its borders. Several hotel and tourism associations have already formally conveyed their concerns to the Tourism Department.
These problems far outweigh any claimed benefits of the TSD Fund, especially when a substantial portion of the revenue is being diverted to a private company. It must also be noted that the Tourism Department has other legitimate avenues for mobilising funds to support tourism infrastructure, heritage, and capacity building. In light of these facts, the Sikkim Democratic Front demands the immediate discontinuation of the TSD Fund in its present form.
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