Now Showing at Star Cinema Hall- Projecting Gangtok

SIKKIM PROJECTED, NOW FOR THE FEEDBACK
TSHERING EDEN
GANGTOK: ‘Projecting Gangtok’, an exhibition on proposed public infrastructure projects being developed in and around Gangtok opened to Gangtokians Friday at the Star Cinema hall. “...a healthy dialogue is necessary in a robust democratic society between the people and the decision makers,” reads a flyer which underlines what the exhibition is essentially about.
Addressing media persons today, Kailash Pradhan, a member of Architects of Sikkim [AS], the curators for this exhibition, explained that  they seek to create an open platform for the public to articulate their feelings about the proposed projects thereby involving them in the decision-making process. Visitors can do so by filling up a questionnaire, writing in a register, or on posting sticky-notes on the project details displayed at the exhibition. The feedback will then be forwarded to the concerned authorities.

The exhibition, which is open from 5 in the morning till 8:30 in the evening, has details of 12 projects being developed in Gangtok on display. These are various stages of planning and development, with work on some having already begun and others still being finalised. Apart from learning about these projects, Gangtokians now have the opportunity to share advice and comments to make these more people-friendly.
Some of the projects that feature in the exhibition are the proposed Skywalk at Namnang, the Gangtok Tower near Titanic Park and the Kisan Bazar near the Kanchanjunga shopping complex.  
For want of a platform, the general public has never had a say in the decision-making process of such projects so far apart from tabling demands for facilities and learning of projects once they have begun. The exhibition hopes to raise awareness and facilitate a process whereby every residents here can express themselves with regard to any project that the government plans to undertake.
Mr Pradhan also informed that the government departments have been co-operative regarding this initiative and have shared the project details for public display and feedback at the exhibition.
“The government is showing a positive interest in the initiative and if this communication gap between the government and the civil society is bridged we can expect positive results,” he said.
Also on the anvil is a workshop to close the exhibition to discuss the outcome and plan the road ahead, AS informs.
Architects of Sikkim is a body of privately practising architects formed in 2001. It has a total of 11 members as of now: Kailash Pradhan, Prashant Pradhan, Lhendup Wangdi, Parayan Dixit, Devashish Pradhan, Chattra Singhi, Navin Pradhan, Zamyang Bhutia, Upendra Gurung, Sanjog Raya Pradhan and Chetan Shreshtha who is also the current co-ordinator of the body.
Another exhibition in October later this year is also in the pipeline which will feature design interventions in public projects, it is informed.
Meanwhile, the last date for sending entries to ‘Click City’, the photography competition that is running alongside the exhibition, has been extended till 17 April.