GANGTOK, 22 July: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling stressed today that government policies and programmes were geared towards protecting and making the people secure and ensuring justice to all. With the institutionalization of such an environment, the final aim was to empower the people and end the dependence syndrome.
He admitted that the dependence still continues, and urged the people to seize opportunities created for them and capitalize on the empowerment available to stand up and demand their rights instead of depending on others to do it for them or wait for the government to grant it.
The CM interacted with people of Chujachen constituency at Dalapchand-Daragaon, Rongli Bazaar and Sudunglakha today, the 30th day of his village-to-village tour. It was raining throughout the day, but the turnouts remained handsome and the interactions extensive.
Speaking to the people from the six wards under Dalapchand GPU at Dalapchand, the CM announced that the age for Old Age Pensions will now be reduced to 60 years from the 65 years at present.
He further declared that the pension amount of Rs 600 per month will be provided to people from 60 to 80 years of age, and for those above 80, this will be increased to Rs. 1000 per month.
He highlighted that Old Age Pension was not a sop given out as a favour, and said that it was the right of the senior citizens for having contributed to the state and the society in their younger days. “This pension is your right and you should not have to request anybody for it. You just need to fill up the form to get the pension,” he stressed.
The CM also expressed his “deep dissatisfaction” over the malpractices hounding the distribution of LPG cylinders which were creating an avoidable shortage. He assured that the government has taken up this matter seriously and strict action will be taken against those found guilty of diverting these essential supplies.
In this regard, he highlighted that middlemen were posing serious challenges to the developmental process with their parasitic siphoning of funds and benefits. It was the aim to cut out the middlemen that the Government has taken a policy decision to provide cooperative societies of the people with contract works of up to Rs 2 crore along with provisions to extend mobilizing funds.
It was now for the people to complement this move by coming together to form effective cooperative societies and ensuring that everyone benefitted.
As a move to ensure transparency, the CM also announced today that henceforth, concerned engineers will be required to explain all details of works sanctioned for the people at the Gram Sabhas in the respective areas.
At his second halt, at Rongli Bazaar, the CM directed his address mostly to the students whom he urged to allow no distractions from the process of learning so that they are able and responsible citizens when they inherit the reins of the State in the future.
He stressed that it was important for the students to tour Sikkim to understand and study its diverse culture, traditions, heritage, languages, crops and environment, so that not only are they better informed themselves, but also become good ambassadors and caretakers of the State.
“The other states have been studying Sikkim’s developmental model to adopt for their regions. It also important for the people, especially the students, to also understand the plans,” he added.
The CM also announced plans to develop Rongli Bazaar like Gangtok’s MG Marg and pointed out that many developmental works had already been completed and now beautification and upgradation of Rongli Bazaar will be taken up.
While informing that the people here of plans to make the Gangtok-Nathula route compulsorily one-way so that tourists continued their journeys to Kupup, Gnathang, Rongli and Rhenock, the CM pointed out that that to benefit from this policy decision, the people will have to upgrade their skills to become quality service providers. Without this participation, the tourism opportunities created will pass them by, he said.
At his final halt at Sudunglakha, apart from his interactions with the people, the CM also inaugurated a new Veterinary Sub Centre.
He admitted that the dependence still continues, and urged the people to seize opportunities created for them and capitalize on the empowerment available to stand up and demand their rights instead of depending on others to do it for them or wait for the government to grant it.
The CM interacted with people of Chujachen constituency at Dalapchand-Daragaon, Rongli Bazaar and Sudunglakha today, the 30th day of his village-to-village tour. It was raining throughout the day, but the turnouts remained handsome and the interactions extensive.
Speaking to the people from the six wards under Dalapchand GPU at Dalapchand, the CM announced that the age for Old Age Pensions will now be reduced to 60 years from the 65 years at present.
He further declared that the pension amount of Rs 600 per month will be provided to people from 60 to 80 years of age, and for those above 80, this will be increased to Rs. 1000 per month.
He highlighted that Old Age Pension was not a sop given out as a favour, and said that it was the right of the senior citizens for having contributed to the state and the society in their younger days. “This pension is your right and you should not have to request anybody for it. You just need to fill up the form to get the pension,” he stressed.
The CM also expressed his “deep dissatisfaction” over the malpractices hounding the distribution of LPG cylinders which were creating an avoidable shortage. He assured that the government has taken up this matter seriously and strict action will be taken against those found guilty of diverting these essential supplies.
In this regard, he highlighted that middlemen were posing serious challenges to the developmental process with their parasitic siphoning of funds and benefits. It was the aim to cut out the middlemen that the Government has taken a policy decision to provide cooperative societies of the people with contract works of up to Rs 2 crore along with provisions to extend mobilizing funds.
It was now for the people to complement this move by coming together to form effective cooperative societies and ensuring that everyone benefitted.
As a move to ensure transparency, the CM also announced today that henceforth, concerned engineers will be required to explain all details of works sanctioned for the people at the Gram Sabhas in the respective areas.
At his second halt, at Rongli Bazaar, the CM directed his address mostly to the students whom he urged to allow no distractions from the process of learning so that they are able and responsible citizens when they inherit the reins of the State in the future.
He stressed that it was important for the students to tour Sikkim to understand and study its diverse culture, traditions, heritage, languages, crops and environment, so that not only are they better informed themselves, but also become good ambassadors and caretakers of the State.
“The other states have been studying Sikkim’s developmental model to adopt for their regions. It also important for the people, especially the students, to also understand the plans,” he added.
The CM also announced plans to develop Rongli Bazaar like Gangtok’s MG Marg and pointed out that many developmental works had already been completed and now beautification and upgradation of Rongli Bazaar will be taken up.
While informing that the people here of plans to make the Gangtok-Nathula route compulsorily one-way so that tourists continued their journeys to Kupup, Gnathang, Rongli and Rhenock, the CM pointed out that that to benefit from this policy decision, the people will have to upgrade their skills to become quality service providers. Without this participation, the tourism opportunities created will pass them by, he said.
At his final halt at Sudunglakha, apart from his interactions with the people, the CM also inaugurated a new Veterinary Sub Centre.
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