STATE LEVEL SAMMELAN HELD FOR PANCHAYATS AND LOCAL URBAN BODIES

CM directs establishment of ward level committees with reps from every household to finalise beneficiary lists
“VILLAGES NOW ‘MADE’, NEXT CHALLENGE IS TO MAKE THEM BETTER”
GANGTOK, 17 Nov: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has directed panchayat members to constitute a ward level committee consisting of a representative from every household in their respective wards. This committee must be formed immediately and the list of the committee members submitted to the respective MLAs within a month.
This direction was given by the CM at the State Level Sammelan for Panchayats and Local Urban Bodies 2013 held here at Manan Kendra on Saturday. This committee, Mr. Chamling said, will be tasked with the responsibility to ensure selection of genuine beneficiaries for the upcoming Janata Mela.
“There need not be any limit on the demands, but the panchayat members and the members of the committee must ensure that the demands are need-based and beneficiaries are genuine,” the Chief Minister underlined.
The Chief Minister also announced a change in the government’s slogan from ‘Afno gaon aafai banau’ [Make our villages ourselves] to ‘Aafno Gaon, Ramro Banau’ [Make our village nice] as Sikkim has almost achieved the original target, he stated.
Further, Mr. Chamling urged the panchayats, urban body representatives and Government officials to work for the benefit of the people with utmost dedication and take individual responsibilities.
“Sikkim has achieved overall development in the past 20 years under the SDF Government but there is still work to be done by all concerned to make Sikkim the best among the best states,” Mr. Chamling said.
Regarding some of the demands placed by the village level public representatives, the Chief Minister said that his government is looking at increasing the monthly emoluments of the panchayat members. He also urged Government officials to treat panchayat members with respect as they are elected representatives.
The Chief Minister informed that his government has decided to provide Rs. 2,000 per month as grant to the members of the trans-gender community, local folk singers and unmarried women above 45 years of age.
“The Social Welfare Department should send the respective forms to all the panchayat members within a month and filled up forms should be submitted to the government immediately,” he directed.
Mr. Chamling also informed the gathering about the government’s plan to pay unemployment grant to the unemployed youth and urged the panchayat members to begin the process of scrutiny in their respective wards and GPUs.
Speaking on the newly formed opposition party, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, Mr. Chamling branded the party as a collection of “rowdies” and alleged that it was supported by Gopal Gurung’s Mongol Liberation Organization of Nepal.
“In India, for a political party to get support from a foreign organization is illegal and anti-national and this party has proven during their Paljor Stadium meet that they are getting support from a foreign organization,” Mr. Chamling claimed.
On a recent drug bust by Melli Police involving a vehicle allegedly belonging to SKM supporters, he claimed that SKM is distributing drugs to the Sikkimese youth and urged the panchayat members to keep youth from their respective wards and GPUs safer from such influence. Finally, the Chief Minister urged the Director General of Police to reward the police personnel who made the Melli drug bust.