Chauridara to come up as a Green Village

VILLAGERS SIGN UP WRITTEN DECLARATION FOLLOWING A PUBLIC HEARING
CHAURIDARA, 19 Feb:  The public of Chauridara have given a written declaration with a seven-point agenda for the development and remodeling of their village as a Green Village.  Chauridara was declared a Green Village by the Chief Minister during his village-to-village tour last year.  
The public hearing for the Green Village was held here on 17 February which was presided over by the Minister for Forest and Tourism, Bhim Dhungel and was also attended by area MLA cum Chief Whip, Ugen T Gyatso Bhutia, officials from the Forest Department headed by Chief Conservator of Forest, Gut Lepcha, officials from line departments, local NGOs including Kaw-Payong Comprehensive Tourism Development Committee, Panchayat members and the general public.
Chauridara ward No.1 which falls under Kaw-Payong GPU of South Sikkim marks the end of human habitation at the edge of the Mainam Wildlife Sanctuary.  The proposed plan for the Green Village includes a total of 62 houses with 357 population and 136 hectares of land.  The function began with a welcome address by Panchayat president, Kaw-Payong GPU and a brief speech on Green Village highlighted by President Eco-Tourism Development Committee, MK Rai.
DFO, Forest Wildlife, Nischal Gautam informed that micro planning will be completed within the month of April and further informed the people on the use of bio-degradable material in the area and developing a trek route to Bhaley Dunga.  The Green Village is community-based and sustainable which will boost tourism in future, he mentioned.  
The CCF Forest, Gut Lepcha highlighted that once the project is completed this village will be a model for the country.  He also informed that various developments would follow once the project begins including roads and bridges. He also stressed that the villagers should be aware that this project will benefit the local people in income generation in the long run and further added that everything will be nature friendly.
The area MLA cum Chief Whip, Ugen T Gyatso Bhutia while addressing the public hearing appealed to everyone to contribute in such a sustainable project in the village and informed that without the support of the villagers it is not possible for the project to be successful.  Congratulating the villagers on the project he said “Sikkim’s beauty is in its hospitality as we Sikkimese always respect and help our guests, so we must behave well with tourists who visit our area”.  He further expressed that the government’s work is to bring schemes to the village but it’s the people who must implement it in the right way.
The Forest Minister, Bhim Dhungel in his address said that villagers have preserved the nature well in the village and added that tourism is the second highest mode of income generation in the world and appealed to the villagers to get more involved in tourism.  The Minister further stressed that people should develop traditional houses for home stays and encouraged the use of biodegradable items in the village. This project will uplift the economic condition of the rural masses by generating income out of the limited land that the farmers have.
The Minister also noted that Sikkim is one of the Biodiversity hot spots in the country and further briefed the gathering on the flora, fauna and other treasures of nature that the state possesses. Also on the day, two farmers from the village were felicitated. Birkha Bahadur Rai was felicitated for the best cattle rearing and Bedu Rai for best in agriculture.