Sikkim’s Jewels celebrated on State Day

SIKKIM’S RATNAS: Kipu Tshering Lepcha, BB Gooroong, CD Rai, Dr Trilochan Singh, Sanchaman Limboo and Bhaichung Bhutia. [not featured in pix above] Tarundeep Rai, Phul Maya Tamang and TT Dorjee.

 MB Tamang receives the LD Kazi Award for Democratic Movement

GANGTOK, 16 May: The 37th State Day was celebrated at Chintan Bhawan today with a special programme organised by the Home Department and which included the presentation of the Sikkim State Civilian Awards.
Present on the dais for the programme were the Governor BP Singh, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, Minister for Roads & Bridges RB Subba, Minister for Power and Cultural Affairs Sonam Gyatso Lepcha and Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso.
On the day, the LD Kazi Award for Democratic Movement was conferred on MB Tamang of Pachey Samsing under Dugalakha in East Sikkim, while Bibek Sharma of Development Area received the medal and citation of the national award, Jivan Rakshak Padak.
Nine persons received the Sikkim Sewa Ratna and 20 other personalities received the Sikkim Sewa Samman.
BB Gooroong [ex-CM and Chairman, State Welfare Commission]; Sanchaman Limboo [ex-CM and Deputy Chairman, State Planning Commission]; CD Rai [senior journalist]; Dr Trilochan Singh [Director, Sri Ganga Ram Hospital, Delhi]; TT Dorjee [former Chief Secretary] and Kipu Tshering Lepcha [Social Worker] were awarded the Sikkim Sewa Ratna consisting of a shawl, a silver medal, a citation and cash Rs. 2 lakh, while three persons Bhaichung Bhutia [football], Tarundeep Rai [archery] and Phul Maya Tamang [mountaineer] received the Khel Ratna.
The 20 persons who received the Sikkim Sewa Samman consisting of a citation, shawl, silver medal and Rs 1 lakh each are LB Chettri, Lendup Lepcha and Tar Tshering Lepcha for engineering, others to receive the award were A Karthok [official], Chumsi Doma Bhutia [social worker], Anita Bhujel [nurse], KM Sarda [businessman] and Santosh Nirash [senior journalist].
Jas Lal Pradhan [boxing], Trilok Subba [tae-kwon-do] and Chungda Sherpa [archery] were conferred the Sikkim Khel Samman. Motilal Lakhotia [businessman] and Jagat Prasad Sharma [businessman] received the Sikkim Udyog Samman, while Jas Raj Subba [writer] and Dr Pushpa Sharma [writer] were awarded the Sikkim Sahitiya Samman.
Uttam Pradhan [actor] and BB Rai [artist] were given the Sikkim Kala Samman and Shanti Thatal [singer] received the Sikkim Sangeet Samman. Kul Bahadur Rai [teacher] was given the Sikkim Siksha Samman and Kailash Rana Mangar [farmer] received the Sikkim Krishi Samman.
Three books - ‘Sikkim Brahman 2011 – Chief Minister’s 42 days village-to-village tour’, a coffee table book with photographs of the CM’s Sikkim Brahman [by IPR Department] and ‘Ethno Ornithology of Lepchas of Sikkim’ by Prof Ajeya Jha [Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology] and Ms V Jha were also released during the programme.
Earlier during the programme two patriotic songs by school children of Modern Senior Secondary School and Deorali Girls Senior Secondary School were also performed, while the National Anthem was played by the Sikkim Police Band.
The programme was attended by Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, Chairpersons, Mayor, Deputy Mayor, DGP, Commissioners and Secretaries, senior police officials, officials from various government departments and local gentries.