2,261 laptops handed over to West Sikkim students

WANT SIKKIM STUDENTS TO BE CAPABLE AND COMPETITIVE: CHAMLING
KALUK, 06 Dec: A total of 2,261 students of class XI and XII from 10 schools of Soreng Sub Division received free laptops today. Chief Minister Pawan Chamling handed over the laptops to the students at a programme organised here at the Sardar Ran Bahadur Gurung Senior Secondary School. The Chief Minister, in his address paid homage to the late Sardar Ran Bdr. Gurung who donated the land for the school and in whose memory the school was renamed.
Explaining the delay in the laptop distribution in the district, the CM informed that the machines were being imported from outside the country and went out of stock after the distribution at Gangtok and Gyalshing. Due to this, the distribution in other parts of the State was delayed and is being resumed as fresh laptops have finally arrived, he said.
He further stated that the aim behind distributing laptops to the students was to make them more competitive and advanced. “I want the students of Sikkim to be as capable as those from other parts of the globe,” he added.
On rumours of the laptop distribution was being funded by the Central government, the Chief Minister clarified that the distribution is completely envisioned and funded by the State government. This year the laptops were provided to students of class XI and above, next year the students of class IX and above will get the laptops, he said.
“If it was funded by the Central government then why are governments of other states not doing the same?”, he asked further adding that this is a result of the government’s policies and aim to produce a capable, competitive and intelligent human resource. Unemployment has increased due to the development in education and government jobs are not the only solution, he said.
The State government is working tirelessly to make Sikkim’s students more competitive so that they can get jobs anywhere in the world. Addressing the students he said, “The world is not readymade for anyone, you have to create your own world as I created mine. I am helping you build your world. Sikkim is passing through the golden era and students should take advantage of it”.
Addressing the teachers, especially the ad-hoc teachers, the Chief Minister said that in pursuit of their individual gains, they should not jeopardize the future of students. He assured all possible help within the powers of the State government to the ad-hoc teachers.
The CM also approved the demands of the school on the spot from the Chief Minister's relief fund. He urged the students to start thinking for the betterment of the state and country as a whole. He further informed that Sikkim will be the next place, after Greece, to provide vaccination for cervical cancer which he said would begin from 15 December 2013. Sikkim is the only state to give such priority to the health sector, he added.
He further said that all the demands of new roads will be sanctioned by December end, Rs. 400 crore has already been sanctioned to double lane the highway from Singtam to Gyalshing. For the construction of new school buildings, he will sanction Rs 24 crore from the Chief Minister's relief fund by the end of December, he added.
Earlier, area MLA [Rinchenpong], the Health Minister DN Thakarpa delivered the welcome address.
On the occasion, the school felicitated the Chief Minister for upgrading the school to Senior Secondary level in the year 2008. The family members of Late Sardar Ran Bdr. Gurung were also felicitated by the school.
This laptop distribution programme was organized on the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee celebration of Sardar Ran Bdr. Gurung Sr. Secondary School which was established in 1938.