Teesta overwhelms Stage V with silt, again

GENERATION SUSPENDED FOR TWO DAYS AS RESERVOIR FLUSHED FOR DESILTATION
DIKCHU, 09 June: Power generation at 510MW Teesta Stage V has been suspended for two days due to the heavy siltation in the reservoir. The sluice gates of dam were opened Wednesday morning to flush the silt from the reservoir.
The hydrology record of the NHPC reveals that the 66,449 ppm siltation recorded for upstream and 70,753 ppm recorded downstream yesterday, the highest siltation recorded this year. The normal siltation of Teesta recorded 7 to 10 thousand per million particles.
Power generation was scheduled to resume by Thursday evening.

Monday night rain runs Namchi dry, floods rumours as well

NAMCHI, 09 June: The heavy downpour of 06 June caused a number of landslides at different places under Ravangla sub division which, apart from spreading some worry, also damaged the water supply pipelines leading towards Namchi from Barmeli near Ravangla.
Water supply in Namchi was finally restored yesterday after three days by a team from the PHE Deptt, South District, and taps started flowing again by evening. The public of Namchi were however, gripped by rumours of that water supply would remain suspended for another two days which led to people rushing to tank up from the nearest water sources in their private vehicles. By evening, people had even started hiring taxis to ferry water to their homes.

Govt’s arrival to their remote village thrills West Sikkim GPUs

TASHIDING, 09 June: After completing his round of South district, the Chief Minister resumed his village-to-village tour with West Sikkim, starting with the Yuksom-Tashiding constituency today. Under the Sikkim Bhraman underway, the CM is taking along his Cabinet and Heads of Departments in a tour aimed at reaching the Government to the doorsteps of the people, taking spot appraisals of various schemes on ground and collecting the aspirations and grievances of the people with the aim to resolve as many as possible on the spot.
Today, after travelling for several hours, the CM made first halt was at Yangtam on the upper ridge of Reli Chu, where people from 11 wards under Mangder-Karzee GPU and Narkhola-Dhupidara GPU had gathered.

34 beneficiaries receive allotment letters for pucca house construction at Poklok-Denchung GPU

NAMCHI, 09 June: Under the Chief Minister’s Rural Housing Mission [CMRHM] 34 families from Poklok-Denchung GPU received allotment letters for construction of Pucca Houses under the Chief Minister’s Rural Housing Mission from the Rural Management & Development Department today.
The State Government intends to make Sikkim the first poverty-free State in the country and has called on elected representatives at all levels to extend all necessary cooperation in achieving the set goal for which Rs.33 Crores have been earmarked considering the poverty free mission. Under this mission a total of 6,000 houses will be built within three years, whereas the landless farmers will also be provided with half acre of land by the Government of Sikkim.

Bhutan team visits Agri Engineering College

GANGTOK, 09 June: A twelve-member team headed by DNR-RDC (PRO), Govt. of Bhutan, Sengay Phub, and Dy. Project Manager, ATMA, FS&ADD, Govt. of Sikkim, Dr. Narendra K Gautam, visited the College of Agricultural Engineering and Post Harvest Technology (Central Agricultural University), Ranipool, Gangtok on 08 June, informs a press release.
With a brief welcome by I/c Dean, Dr. PC Senapati, apprised the delegates about the teaching research and extension education activities of the college. The faculty members introduced themselves with their areas of specialization.

Emotional wins T20 tourney at Reshi

GANGTOK, 09 June: The final match of the Harka Bahadur Memorial Challenge T-20 Cricket Cup was played between Emotional Team of Dalep, West Bengal, and Tarpin Secondary School on 06 June at Reshi near Shivalaya Mandir, East Sikkim.
Emotional lifted the winner’s trophy defeating Tarpin Secondary School by 11 runs. The latter team was bowled out for 112 runs while chasing a target of 123 set by Emotional.
The winning team were presented cash award of Rs. 3,000, trophy and medals while the runner up received Rs. 1,500, trophy and medals. The man of the series title went to Pukar Shivakothi of the Dalep team.
The match was umpired by Basant Tamang and Reshap Pradhan while the score board was maintained by Gopal Pathak and Bhusan Adhikari, informs a press release.

Rangpo power cut on 11 June for sub-station repairs

GANGTOK, 08 June: The 11/11 KV switching sub-station at Sikkim Mining, near Rangpo requires major overhauling, calibrations along with replacement of spares on incoming and outgoing control panels as part of periodic maintenance for better performance, informs a press release from the Energy and Power Deptt.
The Department plans to carry out the said job on 11 June from 9 am to 5 pm. This shut down will affect the power supply to the areas viz. Bardang, Bagaykhola, Majitar, SMC area, Rangpo, Duga, Pandam upto Budang in East Sikkim and Rangpo towards West Bengal, the release informs.

Uncivil Repartees of a Civil Movement

Editorial:
There is no avoiding what the national media will have us believe is the cause celebre gripping the nation at present – corruption. Whether on the streets or in the courts, the only news-making event of late has been corruption, at least that is what is being fed to viewers across the country with the ‘breaking news’ pausing only for fillers like a pair of elephants on a murderous rampage somewhere or a bus accident somewhere else. Nothing else seems to be happening in this country of, how Baba Ramdev puts it, “121 crore” people.
What the entire episode has proven is that corruption is an issue that disturbs Indians. The only reason the citizens have not poured out into the streets against it is because they lacked a credible face to lead the movement.

NEC to hold 60th Plenary Meeting on 16 and 17 June

GANGTOK, 09 June: The 60th NEC Council Meeting is slated to be held on 16 and 17 June in New Delhi and is scheduled to be attended by Chief Ministers, Governors, Chief Secretaries of all the North Eastern States. Various topics for over all development of North East including Power scenario, Education, Science & Technology, Railways, Air connectivity, Innovation for the North Eastern  Region, Transport and Communication in the States, Agriculture, Sports etc, will be touched upon, informs a press communiqué received from the Director, HRD&E, North Eastern Council Secretariat, Shillong.

ICICI Bank and NISM to offer one-year PGCSM programme

GANGTOK, 09 June: National Institute of Securities Markets [NISM], an educational initiative undertaken by the Securities and Exchange Board of India [SEBI] and ICICI Bank Ltd, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a specialised programme – “Post Graduate Certificate in Securities Markets” [PGCSM].
PGCSM is a one year specialized and integrated programme aimed at experienced professionals focused on providing a “high degree of conceptual grounding, skill building and industry exposure”, a press release informs. On successful completion of the PGCSM Programme, students will be placed in the treasury and investment functions within the ICICI Group companies, the release adds.
NISM is a public trust established by SEBI - the regulator for securities markets in India. NISM seeks to add to the market quality through educational initiatives and is an autonomous body governed by the Board of Governors and with strategic guidance from an International Advisory Council.

Sikkim BJP wants officers to be in station during its village-to-village tour

GANGTOK, 08 June: Bharatiya Janata Party’ Sikkim unit has announced plans to undertake a village-to-village tour of its own starting 12 June and has written to the Chief Secretary asking him to “ensure us that concerned government officials are present and enlighten us on any doubt raised during our visit to the villages”.
The Sikkim BJP president, Padam Bahadur Chettri, in his letter to the CS dated today, adds, “Absence or unconcern on the part of the government officials will make us realize their irresponsibility.”
The letter has also sought that the State administration ensure “personal security” to the touring BJP team.
The tour, he informs, follows from the BJP’s national executive meeting held recently in Lucknow where it was decided to access the development works at the GPU level, Primary Health Centres and Lower Primary Schools and “point out corruption and malpractices in the centrally sponsored schemes in these areas”.

Abhilash and Satendra top CET 2011

GANGTOK, 08 June: The scholarship section of the Human Resource Development Department declared the Common Entrance Test [CET] 2011 results for Bachelor in Engineering [BE] and MBBS courses yesterday.
Among the 612 students who sat for the Engineering CET, Abhilash Agarwal bagged the No. 1 rank by scoring 76%. Mr. Agarwal scored 152 out of 200.
He was followed by Subhadeep Pal, Vivek Thirani, Robin Singh and Chetan Koirala securing second, third, fourth and fifth ranks respectively.

Trio busted for stealing iron girders

GANGTOK, 08 June: Singtam Police has arrested three persons on charges of stealing iron girders from the godown of a contractor at Sangkhola in East Sikkim on Tuesday morning.
It is alleged that 19-year-old Namgyal Lepcha of Lingzya, Dzongu, 35-year-old Md Banu and 35-year-old Alam Uddhin of Kishanganj, Bihar, made away with iron girders from a godown of a contractor, Sunil Agarwal, at Sangkhola at around 4:30 early last morning.
The three were arrested by the police and stolen girders worth Rs 6, 000 recovered from them.

Labourers protest hazardous working conditions at Dikchu HEP

WORKERS ABANDON WORK, PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE CONVINCES THEM TO RETURN

WANGCHUK BHUTIA
MANGAN, 07 June: The accompanying picture of a labourer crossing the Dikchu khola to reach the tail race tunnel worksite on the far bank illustrates the hydel commitment to worker safety. This treacherous river crossing has to be made swinging from a flimsy wrought-iron contraption which does not even have a door which closes properly. A 12 mm iron wire is all that keeps the workers away from the ferocious rapid below and there does not appear to be any arrangement for a security harness as protection against a mishap. This has been how work has progressed here since the makeshift bridge across the khola was washed away on 01 May earlier last month.
This is the situation at the power-house site of the 96MW Dikchu Hydel Power Project. Frustrated with the management’s disinterest in worker safety, labourers engaged at the site by Drillcon Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Sneha Kinetic Power Project [the project developer], abandoned work today.
Interestingly, the Ward Panchayat BB Gurung and members of the Project Implementation Committee arrived at the spot and resolved the matter, convincing the workers to “bear with the company till a new bailey bridge was constructed”.

Sikkim’s Human Development Report to be a ‘Citizen’s Report’

GANGTOK, 07 June:  A consultation meeting for the preparation of the second Human Development Report for Sikkim was held at the Tashiling Secretariat conference hall, chaired by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today. The meeting was also attended by Dr. AK Shiva Kumar, who has been appointed Advisor for formulation of the Report, Lok Sabha MP PD Rai, Deputy Chairman and members of the State Planning Commission, Chief Secretary, Principal Secretaries and Heads of Departments.
In his address at the consultation meeting, the Chief Minister stressed that the state has already detailed comprehensive Mission Statements to make Sikkim a complete and perfect State in all spheres.
“It is an opportune moment for this initiative since it is the beginning of the 12th five year plan of the country,” highlighted Dr Shiva Kumar at a press conference held later in the evening.
The report will be a blue print for the next 5 to10 years of planning for the State which will be matched with financial outlays, he said highlighting the importance of the report.

Kritika becomes first Sikkimese TT player to be selected by Petroleum Sports Promotion Board

SAGAR CHHETRI
GANGTOK, 07 June: Kritika Rai is the first table tennis player from Sikkim to get picked up by the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board [PSPB]. In her PSPB selection trial on 4 and 5 May in Ajmer, she impressed the scouts enough to become the only girl selected by the PSPB this time.
She was the only girl get selected out of 11 from across the country in the selection trials. It was informed that out of 10 matches in the trial, she won six and also impressed selectors in the other tests.
The Sikkim Table Tennis Association sent Kritika in sub-junior and Siddharth Bhujel in cadet categories for the selection trial accompanied by the STTA joint secretary, Tshering Topgay.

8th June, 1997

Editorial:
The monsoons had not arrived early in the year 1997, but the pre-monsoon showers proved disastrous enough. The prelude to the monsoon was abnormally wet that year, but what wreaked havoc was a cloudburst right on top of the hill we know as Gangtok. A cloudburst above Raj Bhavan tested the drainage of the capital city and found it wanting. The ferocity of the slides claimed a total of 52 lives in and around Gangtok and parts of North Sikkim, with many families shifted to the then unoccupied White Hall annexe. Met Office records reveal that on the intervening night of 08 and 09 June, Gangtok received a record rainfall of 223.8 mm. On Sunday night, Gangtok recorded about half of this at 118 mm and Monday still woke up to a string of slides and slips. The entire month of June normally receives 650.4 mm of rain. Those who remember the night of 08 June 1997 will recall that water spilled everywhere and the copious amounts that flowed through Gangtok on the day cleaved away a building from its foundation near Zero Point along NH31-A. A landslide rushed off from just above Mintokgang and poured slush into a building on the Gangtok-Chandmari axis. Tathangchen suffered a sleepless night as rural houses further down were washed away and families buried alive, not only there, but also up at Chandmari. Baluwakhani suffered too. In fact, all of Gangtok suffered. It is debateable whether better drainage alone could have saved Gangtok that night. A cloudburst, after all is a ferocious event and no drain or jhora is planned with such an inundation in mind. What is disconcerting though is that standing in Gangtok 14 years since the calamity, one realises that the capital has learnt nothing from the incident and allowed public safety to be compromised even more severely.

RESCUED OWLET RETURNS TO THE WILD

An owlet rescued by a passer-by from the army cantonment area at Tadong on 18 May, and cared for by a forester for 20 days, was released into the wild on Monday. Under the care of RO Ongden Lepcha, the owlet has started preying on its own, and its release, originally planned for Sunday to coincide with World Environment Day, was shifted to Monday because the RO was away on field duty over the weekend. The timing was still apt, since it was also his son, Aagen Lepcha’s [seen in pic with the owl] birthday and he got to release the bird. The owl soared confidently to the highest perch of a silver fir tree in the army cantonment area and celebrated its arrival with a hoot...

Ramdev supporters rally in Gangtok to protest Delhi crackdown

GANGTOK, 07 June: Mahila Patanjali Yog Samiti, Sikkim Branch, organized a rally to protest the recent police action in New Delhi where Baba Ram Dev and his supporters were forcibly expelled from their satyagrah at the Ramlila grounds. Nearly 80 followers of Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali Yog Samiti were injured in this midnight raid which included the firing of tear gas shells into the closed pandal and lathi charge.
The rally here was taken out from the Bansilal Petrol Pump, and moved past Hospital Dara and ended at Zero Point.
The Samiti’s in-charge, RP Poudyal, informed that the organization, through this rally, was registering its condemnation of the Delhi incident and conveying their hurt.

Congress high command revokes SPCC expulsion of KN Upreti and 6 others

STATE AUTHORITY SHOULD LEARN THAT THE STATE CONGRESS PARTY IS NOT THEIR PVT. LTD COMPANY: UPRETI
GANGTOK, 07 June: KN Upreti, an ex-Minister and senior vice president of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee, who had been expelled by the State-unit in March earlier this year, along with six others, today released a communiqué received from the party high command revoking the expulsions.
An “Order” [dated 04 June 2011] issued by the Congress incharge for Sikkim, Luizinho Paleiro, to the SPCC president, Nar Bahadur Bhandari, with copies marked to the seven expelled SPCC members, informs that the expulsions stand revoked and the all these members “shall continue to be members of the Congress party”.
Welcoming the latest development, Mr. Upreti reiterated that the 25 March 2011 expulsions were “illegal and arbitrary” and that the “State authority should learn the lesson that the State Congress Party is not their Pvt. Ltd Company and a coterie of sycophants cannot monopolize the party”.

Phidang and Dikchu plant 2,500 saplings to mark WED

MANGAN, 07 June:  World Environment Day was observed at Phidang in Lower Dzongu in North Sikkim on Sunday with Phigu Lepcha, president, Reepbum Rumtong Kurmom, a Lower Dzongu based NGO, as chief guest. Around 1,000 saplings were planted at the stretch from Phee Khola to Phidang Bridge.
The function started with a welcome speech by Panchayat Secretary Tshering Gyatso Lepcha followed by the Headmaster, Phidang Primary School, who spoke on the importance of maintaining green cover.
The function concluded with a vote of thank delivered by RRK general secretary Sherab Lepcha.
The plantation drive was conducted by the Lum/Gor/Sangtok GPU in collaboration with Phidang Primary School and was attended by the general public, including the students.
Similarly, the scouts and guides of Dikchu Secondary School also planted around 1,500 saplings in and around school campus under the supervision of their teacher Tshering Wangchuk Lepcha and ex-School Captain Amir Rai. The plantation drive took out from School campus to Dikchu Bazaar

NH 31A becomes Khola at Tadong

The national highway at Gairigaon, Tadong looked almost like a river on Sunday night when the storm drains along the highway failed to drain the rainwater which then poured onto the road. Even heavy vehicles found it difficult to manoever through the oncoming muddy water which was carrying small rocks, garbage, and sludge along with it. The video shows how the road looks on a normal day followed by footage taken on Sunday.

Surging Rani Khola damages eight houses at Singtam

GANGTOK, 06 June: Heavy overnight downpour, recorded at 118 mm over Gangtok on Sunday night, inundated the East district with a slew of slides and damages, and apart from damage to public and private property, also caused one fatality [in Lower Samdong, read accompanying report].
The district authorities were kept busy through the day today as its officials rushed from one affected location to the other.
Apart from the one death, a substantial hit was taken by Singtam where eight houses were damaged due to increase in the water level of the Rani Khola there. The site was visited by the SDM [East] Dr AB Karki and his team along with officials from the Irrigation Department.

Slurry of slides visit Gangtok

GANGTOK, 06 June: The heavy downpour that the capital received last night brought down a flurry of minor mudslips across Gangtok.
1.    The final turning to Chandmari had a mudslip greeting travelers in the morning. This one, right on the road, held up traffic early this morning.
Further up, a slide pushed a Mahindra Maxx which parked on the far bank of the road into the porch of a house across the road. This was towards Dichiling, a short distance ahead of the Forest Checkpost at Chandmari.
People at the site believe that the vehicle saved the house by taking the brunt of the slide and cushioning its impact on the house. The clearing up of muck from this spot also disrupted traffic today.
2.    Elsewhere, the central government quarters at SIB complex at Baluakhani were damaged when the protective wall and the footpath behind the houses collapsed on to it. The three families residing there have been evacuated, however, most of their belongings were damaged. The footpath leads to ISPW office [Inter-state Police Wireless Station]. Other buildings in the area also appear in danger.

BJP gen secy attempts dharna for Baba at MG Marg, escorted away

GANGTOK, 06 June: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sikkim unit general secretary Padam Sharma, arrived at the Gandhi statue enclave at MG Marg this morning and sat down on a dharna with a placard protesting the police crackdown on Baba Ramdev’s satyagrah in New Delhi last night. He was there barely 20 minutes when a team from the Sadar Police Station escorted him away, reminding him that neither did he have permission, nor were such demonstrations allowed at the MG Marg.
Speaking to media persons earlier, Mr. Sharma explained that he was sitting on a dharna under the central BJP’s initiative in response to the “atrocities” committed against Baba Ramdev and his followers by the Delhi police.
“As a lay person of the civil society, beating up of sadhus and sants, ladies and children who were standing up against corruption is not acceptable,” he said.
“The power scam, the land acquisition in Sikkim, corruption in India and Sikkim is reaching beyond imagination and all this has to stop,” he said and added that since the central BJP leaders were sitting on a dharna at Rajghat in New Delhi, so all the States were following in the footsteps of their leaders.

Jhora slices away road near Manbir Colony

GANGTOK, 06 June: A section of the Indira Byepass caved in near Manbir Colony ahead of from DC Office last night when the jhora there broke its banks due to the heavy rainfall.
Three quarters of the road was sliced away by the raging jhora at around 2:30 a.m. it is informed. As is obvious from the accompanying photograph, this section is now closed to vehicular traffic.
A GREF team arrived at the spot early this morning and started restoration works.
B/R Grade II, PC Joshi, of GREF, who is supervising the restoration works, informs that the jhora washed away the culvert under the road resulting in a portion of the road collapsing.
He informed that GREF personnel and labourers have been hard at work at the spot and that temporary restoration to open the road for traffic will be completed by Tuesday evening, weather permitting.
Permanent restoration will take around one month if work progresses smoothly, he added.

Fire destroys restaurant in Bojoghari

GANGTOK, 06 June: A fire destroyed the interiors of a restaurant here at Bojoghari belonging to one Suk Maya Subba on Sunday. However, brave intervention by a resident of Penlong and the neigbours brought the fire under control in time and stopped it from spreading to nearby houses, it is informed.
The fire, it is informed, was caused by a leaking LPG cylinder and was so sudden that it caught Suk Maya Subba by surprise and she ran out of the restaurant in panic.
Karma Tenkyong of Penlong, who was passing by at the time, responded spontaneously and grabbing  a fire extinguisher from a nearby shop, rushed into the restaurant and with the help of the neighbours dragged the leaking cylinder out of the restaurant.

KRC thanks CM for reiterating commitment to bring Karmapa to Sikkim

GANGTOK, 06 June: “On behalf of all the monks and devotees of the XVIIth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje in Sikkim, we wholeheartedly thank the Chief Minister for the clear reiteration of his commitment to bring the Karmapa to Sikkim in his speech delivered at Ralong Monastery on 02 June,” said Tsewang Lama, a member of the Karmapa Reception Committee [KRC] of Phodong Monastery, while addressing a press conference here today.
“It is not only us, but the Dharma Guru His Holiness the Dalai Lama, all Rinpoches of all sects of Buddhism as well, who have recognized him as the true Karmapa,” he added.
“We have made a memorandum and will submit the same to the CM, and through him we want the Government of India to allow the Karmapa to come to Sikkim and we the members of KRC have been tirelessly working towards bringing the XVIIth Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje to his seat in Rumtek,” he added.

MR workers meet Agri Secy to discuss regularization options

GANGTOK, 06 June: Around 200 Muster Roll employees of Agriculture and Horticulture Departments, led by senior members of the All Sikkim Muster Roll and Workcharged Employees Association [ASMRWCEA], sat in a meeting with the Secretary, Vishal Chauhan, today and submitted a representation urging him to fill all the vacant posts in the Department with by senior MR employees within 100 the days programme as directed by the Chief Minister.
In their representation, the employees state, “Most of the MR employees have already rendered their services for more than 27 years. We request the regularization of senior MR workers in any appropriate vacant posts irrespective of their postings.”
They informed the Secretary that since 1984, not a single MR employee of either Department [Agriculture and Horticulture] has been regularized despite all the 700 MR employees possessing all the relevant documents.

ASESE&UA opens legal cell

GANGTOK, 5 June: The All Sikkim Educated Self Employed and Unemployed Association [ASESE&UA] to announced the formation of its Legal Cell.
ASESE&UA president, Nawin Kiran, informed that the legal cell will provide legal services and support to “deprived” people. 
Addressing a press conference, the cell head, Jigmee Wangchuk Bhutia, informed that while the legal cell will take up only cases of public interest for free, it would however provide legal counseling and suggestions to everyone who approached it.
He also said that issues such as Right to Information Act and Human Rights issues will be taken up by the legal cell.
The association has also reshuffled the posts of its members. While Mr. Kiran remains the president, the organization now has Ritesh Rai as general secretary cum treasurer, Phalman Subba and Deepak Libang as chief advisors, vice-president- Mayalmit Lepcha, publicity- Mohan Rai, PRO- Sabita Tamang, joint secretaries- Khagendra Dhakal, Pradeep Subba, Dipesh Subba, Suraj Rai and Manoj Rai, assistant treasurer- Prashant Sharma, Legal Cell members: Jigmee Wangchuk Bhutia, Rahul Rathi and Bijay Rai.

SFA to holds elections this month

GANGTOK, 05 June: The annual general meeting of the Sikkim Football Association was convened today at the European Commission Hall,  STNM Hospital complex, here today. With the term of the sitting executive body ending this month, the meeting constituted an election committee headed by Rinzing Ongmu, chairperson, SFA Women’s Wing “to prepare the grounds for SFA election for a new executive body within the month of June 2011”, a press communiqué received from SFA general secretary Menla Ethenpa informs.
The release adds that “to facilitate the process of election” and “as per SFA’s constitution” the sitting executive body tendered their resignation. They will now function as the caretaker body until the formation of a new body.
The three and a half hour long AGM was attended by a majority of the SFA members with voting rights, the release informs.

DAY-10 OF CM’s SIKKIM TOUR

“Quality completion needs monitoring by people as well”
GANGTOK, 03 June: The Chief Minister interacted with the residents of Namphok, Mengley, Sripatam, Samrok, Satam, Yangyang and surrounding villages on the tenth day of his village-to-village tour today under Rangang-Yangyang constituency.
On his first halt at Namphok Secondary School, he assured the people of fulfilling all the demands placed today. He also directed the concerned departments to ensure quality work and complete projects on scheduled.
In this regard, he also urged the people to support the departments in implementing the projects and keep works under close monitoring to ensure quality which will ensure creation of sustainable infrastructure.
The Chief Minister also directed the Heads of Departments to initiate disciplinary action wherever negligence was causing compromises in quality.

45 ASHA workers trained on healthcare for newborns

MANGAN, 03 June:  The valedictory function of ASHA 6th & 7th Module Training was held here at the conference hall of the District Hospital Mangan today.  The function was attended by DC North, TN Kazi as the chief guest along with DTO (N) Dr. Peggy Dadul, DHEO (N) MB Sharma, and DPM (N) BK Sharma.
The training which started from 25 May had a total of 45 ASHA workers participating from different places of North district.  During the training, the ASHA workers were trained on new born health care and other health related issues by the different resource persons including HEO Phodong PHC, Parm Lingzerpa,  DPHNO (N), Madhu Rai, and (HE), Phodong PHC Noday Lachungpa.

Children get a Voice at weeklong WED observance at GB Pant Institute

GANGTOK, 03 June: A “Children’s Expression and Discussion Session” under the “Voice of Children” programme was organized yesterday as a part of the week-long celebration of World Environment Day being held at GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development in collaboration with ICIMOD, Kathmandu-Nepal, here at its Pangthang campus. The participating schools were Lingdok Senior Secondary School, Penlong Secondary School, West Point SSS, TNSSS, PNGSSS and Deorali Girls SSS.
The programme started with a welcome address by Dr. KK Singh, Scientist In-charge, GBPIHED-SU. The topical address on “Man and Mountain Environment” was delivered by Dr. HK Badola, Senior Scientist, while Dr. BR Acharya, Associate Professor, Sikkim University, spoke to the students on “The Birds and Butterflies of Sikkim”.

Namchi College opens admissions

NAMCHI, 03 June: Namchi Government College has announced the opening of admissions for B.A (General and Honours) and B. Com (General) for its Monsoon Semester 2011.
According to the Dean of the college, Royal Rai, the prospectus and the forms can be obtained from the college office from 06 June onwards against payment of Rs. 200. The last date of collecting the forms is 16 June.
The forms can be submitted from 20 till 25 June. Admission will be entertained only after “thorough scrutiny” of the documents submitted by the candidates. Documents like Certificates of Identification and Residential Certificates will be taken as proof of local candidature only when issued by the District Collector.
Candidates should have secured a minimum percentage of 55% in the concerned subject for opting for the Honours courses and overall 50% in 10 + 2 level.
He further informed that with the new semester, a uniform will be introduced for students with the new session.

SPARK donates Rs. 15K for child with neurological complications at STNM Hospital

GANGTOK, 03 June: Members of ‘Spark’, n NGO from Singtam, donated an amount of Rs. 15,000 towards the treatment of 9- year- old Anil Subba from Kabi, North Sikkim, who is undergoing treatment for neurological complications here at STNM Hospital today. 
The NGO established in 2010 which has a total of 16 active members and been working on AIDS awareness through street quizzes, folk dance competitions, had collected the amount through contributions from the residents of Singtam.
Six representatives, Mohan Pradhan Neeraj, TB Pradhan advisors, Praveen Pradhan, president, Nangshel Lhamu Sherpa, vice president, Praja Pradhan and Prakash Sundas both  members were here at STNM Hospital today to enquire after the child who is undergoing treatment here at the pediatric ward.

3-month notice made mandatory before firing employees

GANGTOK, 03 May: Henceforth, all power projects, industrial establishments, including pharmaceutical companies, public and private sector companies undertakings etc. will have to compulsorily serve a three-month notice “in writing” before retrenching any of their employee.
A Labour Department Notification dated 24 May informs that the State Government has felt “expedient to adopt procedures for retrenchment of workers engaged in these establishments with immediate effect.”
According to the Notification, “Three months prior notice to be served in writing by the employers indicating reasons for retrenchment and retrench the workers after expiry of the said period of retrench, the workers with wages of three months in lieu of such notice.”
In addition to the above, the Notification adds, “At the time of retrenchment, compensation which shall be equivalent to fifteen days average pay for every completed year of continuous service or any part thereof in excess of six months, shall be paid to the workers.”

Villagers complain against non-maintenance of drains along Singtam-Dikchu road

WANGCHUK BHUTIA
MANGAN, 03 May: The Singtam-Dikchu road, which was developed by NHPC with proper drainage system and carpeting five years ago, now sits in a sorry state. The road falls under BRO jurisdiction and has remained without maintenance ever since it was completed.
The villagers of Singbel, Makha and Kokaley complain that their houses situated below the road are placed at risk during monsoons because the roadside drains are useless and surface run-off pours into their lands. The drain here is overgrown with weeds and blocked with debris causing the water to flow over the road at several places on this stretch. Already, several houses in this stretch have developed cracks and land holdings damaged.