Melli Dara Paiyong gets earnest about avenue plantation

GANGTOK, 11 July: The Melli Dara Paiyong Gram Panchayat Unit, in association with the area’s Joint Forest Management Committee, organized an avenue plantation cum awareness programme on Forest Conservation today.
A press release informs that the programme, held at Melli Dara, with the area MLA Tulshi Devi Rai, was also supported by the Melli Range Office (T).
The welcome speech was presented by the GPU vice-president Datta Ram Sharma. Also on the day, the RO [T], DR Sharma announced that he would to contribute Rs. 1000 per month to meet the wages of a caretaker for the roadside plantations, the release informs.

Also on the occasion, the Melli-Dara MPCS distributed loans to Joint Liability Groups. The Gram Panchayat donated computers with 3-in-1 printers to Kubinday and Begani primary schools and musical instruments to Melli Secondary School.
One laptop was presented to Chewang Tamang, son of Nima Tshering Tamang of Melli Gumpa ward to support his study at IIT Kharagpur.
Crop damage compensation was also distributed to affected farmers by the Forest Department’s wildlife division.
Ganesh K. Rai, the GPU president, highlighted the main objectives of avenue plantation and urged the public to extend their cooperation to the effort.
He added that the missions set for the State by the Chief Minister could be fulfilled only if each and every person contributed toward the development of the State.
An “Avenue Plantation Protection Committee” was also constituted to look after the roadside plantations at Melli Dara and Lower Paiyong wards. This committee constitutes of the local people whose houses are located on or near the roadsides.
Monalisa Das, DFO (T), South, appreciated the initiatives taken by the GPU and urged people to extend their cooperation in order to make the GPU a model one in the country. She also highlighted the role and responsibilities of general public towards the conservation of forests. She added that Sikkim is a peaceful State and leveraging this peace could make Sikkim an exemplary State in the whole country in terms of all-round development.
The area MLA also iterated that it was everyone’s responsibility to conserve the eco-system so that future generations continued to benefit. She added that the area has good scope for village tourism invited the general public to become elements of change and contribute towards the development of society in every possible way.
It may be noted that the Gram Panchayat carried out a measurement drive of road-reserve land in order to discourage encroachment, which is the first such initiative taken up by a Gram Panchayat in the entire state.
The road reserved land was measured as per norms (27 feet) and all the encroachments were cleared, the release informs. Suitable land on both flanks of the road will be used for plantations. The GPU president thanked all the people for extending their support in this regard.
The Gram Panchayat distributed pamphlets on avenue plantation among the people. Saplings of Jarul and Cherry was planted on the left flank (towards the edge of the road) of the road and Bougainvillea was planted on the right flank (towards the opposite edge of the road) from VAC, Melli Dara to Khani Khola by the chief guest and other officials from various departments to mark the occasion.
The programme concluded with the Vote of thanks from Mr. D.B Pradhan, Secretary of the GPU. Also present on the programme were Farwanti Tamang, ZP, DFO (T) Namchi, ACF (BAC, Sumbuk), R.O, Melli (T), R.O (Wild Life, Namchi), President (JFMC), Members of Gram Planning Forum,, Headmasters/Headmistresses, members of Avenue Plantation Protection Committee and the public of the GPU.