Kiwis for Raj Bhavan

GANGTOK, 07 Feb [IPR]: A  Kiwi plantation drive was organized under the aegis of the Governor at the Raj Bhavan complex today.
As a part of the plantation drive, the Governor, the First Lady, the Minister for Food Security Agriculture and Horticulture Department and Additional Chief Secretary along with a  host of officers from Horticulture Department planted Kiwi saplings at the Raj Bhavan complex. The plantation has been undertaken under ICAR flagship program on temperate fruits and under the technical guidance of ICAR RC for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Gangtok, Sikkim.
The Governor, while interacting with the officers present, remarked that the kiwi plantation at Raj Bhavan can be taken as a model plantation by the Department for the farmers. This can be taken as a training ground, he said and urged the department to make  the people and the farmers  aware about the benefits of kiwi fruit and encourage them towards this direction.
The Horticulture Department had initiated kiwi plantation in West Sikkim in the year 1995 and at present,  75 hectares of land at Rinchenpong and 50 hectares at Timborbong are under Kiwi plantation. The Department has plans to introduce Kiwi plantation in East Sikkim from this year, informed Director, Horticulture, Government of Sikkim while interacting with the journalists.
In another programme, Governor Shri Shriniwas Patil released the compendium of activities of the student exchange program from Sikkim to Pune under the Connecting Champions Programme of 24 Hours Inspired.
Under the guidance of the Governor, Connecting Champions 2015 was a very special one. A group of 48 students (26 girls and 22 boys) selected from 13 schools from across the four districts had an opportunity to explore, expose, learn and share their culture with the students and the people of Pune, Maharashtra, from 11 to 22 January 2015.
The Governor, while addressing the gathering at the compendium launch, congratulated the organizers on the successful completion of the programme and said that the students will be treated to new and different opportunities  and get to learn many things through such exposure trips. The programme also included sharing of experience by the Chief Learning Officer, 24 Hours Inspired, Diwakar Basnet and audio visual presentation on Connecting Champions 2015.