Sikkim Chamber of Commerce thanks CM for directive extending govt benefits to old settlers

GANGTOK, 23 Jan: The Sikkim Chamber of Commerce, in a press communiqué issued on behalf of all the traders and businessmen of the State, has welcomed and expressed “heartfelt gratitude” towards Chief Minister Pawan Chamling for acknowledging and issuing directives to Local Bodies to ensure that Government Benefits are availed by Sikkim Subject Holder, COI Holder, Old Residential Certificate holders, Trade License Holders and persons having Residential Houses in Bazaar areas. The CM made this announcement at a meeting held on 17 January at Manan Kendra, Gangtok. “The said decision will create an atmosphere of belongingness and responsibility for traders to contribute positively towards development of Sikkim,” the press release issued by the SCC president Ashok Sarda puts on record.

Jorethang to host national Muay Thai championship

JORETHANG, 23 Jan [IPR]: The 5th Muay Thai India PRO-AM National Muay Thai Championship 2015, organized by the Muay Thai Association of Sikkim and sanctioned by the Muay Thai India National Federation, is going to be held from 28 January to 05 February in Jorethang. The contest is being organized with an objective to motivate the youth from refraining or indulging in anti-social activities while also promoting the tourism industry of Sikkim.  

Saras Fair concludes on a high note in Jorethang

Self Help Groups notch up sales of close to Rs. 50 lakhs

JORETHANG, 23 Jan [IPR]: The valedictory function of the SARAS Fair 2015, organized by the Sikkim Rural Development Agency (SRDA), was held at SIRD Karfectar, Jorethang today. Area MLA cum Minister of Health and IPR Department, AK Ghatani, attended the function as the chief guest accompanied by Chief Administrator-SICB cum General Secretary of the Jorethang Maghey Mela Committee, SD Dhakal; Project Director (SRDA) Namrata Thapa; Director (SIRD) Suchitra Rasaily; Additional Director (SIRD) Bishal; President Jorethang Nagar Panchayat Purosuttam Agrawal alongside the officials from NEDFi Namchi, participants from the SARAS fair and the SRDA officials.

CM lays foundation stone of Rai Khim

GANGTOK, 22 Jan [IPR]: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling laid the foundation stone of Rai Khim, a multi-purpose traditional centre of the Rai community, here at Lumsey in Tadong today.
The programme, organised by the Sikkim Akhil Kirat Rai Sangh, was also attended by Speaker KN Rai, Ministers, senior Government officers, members of the organising committee and local gentry. The ceremony included the Ridhum Mundhum, the traditional ritual of the community.

National Voters Day on 25 Jan

GANGTOK, 22 Jan [IPR]: The State-Level programme of the 5th National Voters’ Day is being organized at 11 a.m. on 25 January at Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok. The newly enrolled voters of Gangtok, Arithang, Upper Tadong, Upper Burtuk and Shayri assembly constituencies have been invited to participate.

Dr. Bhandari conferred Fellowship of European Society of Cardiology

Gangtok, 22 Jan [IPR]: Dr. K. Bhandari, the Director General-cum-Secretary, Health Care, Human Services & FW Department, who also happens to be the a first Super Specialist in the Northeast Region and Sikkim, was awarded the Fellowship of European Society of Cardiology at a function held in Mumbai on 18 January 2015 for his qualification, experience and contribution in the field of Cardiology.
The European Society of Cardiology is the largest academic body for Cardiologists worldwide having the membership of more than 90,000. Among the 90,000, a few are awarded Fellowship on the basis of their qualification, years of experience and contributions in the field of Cardiology. The convocation function was presided by the President of European Society of Cardiology, Dr. Prof. Fausto Pinto among other Association members from Europe and USA.

First Law Secretary of Sikkim passes away

GANGTOK, 21 Jan: Bhim Raj Pradhan, son of Late Kashi Raj Pradhan and Late Laxmi Devi Pradhan, who served Sikkim as the first and longest serving Law Secretary, passed away at Paramount Hospital in Siliguri at 8.35 PM on 20 January. He is survived by his wife Bindumati Pradhan, two sons and their families. The funeral is scheduled to be held in Gangtok on 22 January.

Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment comes into force in Sikkim

Buildings & Housing Deptt to ensure GRIHA compliance by govt buildings

GANGTOK, 20 Jan: The State Government has notified the distribution of subjects among Departments under the Government of Sikkim (Allocation of Business) Rules, 2004 and entrusted the Buildings & Housing Department to act as the nodal agency to ensure compliance to GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment).

When Maghey Mela tries too hard to be hep and happening :-(

This year’s Maghey Mela celebrations, at least at some of the venues, were among the longest ever celebrated in the recent history of Sikkim. At some venues, the mela is still going on, touching nearly a fortnight of Mela. But sadly, this longest-ever celebrated festival was not the ‘funnest’ one as visitors rued that ‘there was no charm’ and also that the melas were ‘boring’.
It was also seen that besides old venues, some new locations with new organizers were added and it was obvious that expectations were high on the part of the mela lovers to experience some new forms of entertainment. While visitors were attracted to such new additions, they also missed the old staples which used to especially entertain the low budget visitors.

Sikkim’s Rakesh Gurung wins chess tourney in New Delhi, bags Rs. 1.5 lakh prize money

GANGTOK, 20 Jan: Rakesh Gurung has returned home as the champion of the 13th Parsvnath Delhi International Open Grandmaster Chess Tournament 2015 held in New Delhi from 09 to 12 January. He emerged as the champion in category B [for Below 2000 FIDE Rated players] winning 9 points from 10 rounds and was awarded with cash prize of Rs 1.5 lakh. Likewise, another promising player Rahul Gurung finished fourth with 8 points from 10 rounds and won cash prize of Rs 75,000.

Governor and CM greet Sikkim on Sonam Lochar

GANGTOK, 20 Jan: Governor Shriniwas Patil and Chief Minister Pawan Chamling have extended greetings to the people of Sikkim on the occasion of Sonam Lochar, the Tamang New Year, which falls on 21 January, Wednesday.

Chamling spells out govt's commitment to effective administration

CM interacts with more than 3,000 officers to discuss ways and means to ensure Good Governance

GANGTOK, 19 Jan: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today directed the bureaucracy to ensure that the state administration delivered in an “effective, transparent and time bound manner” and urged officers to adopt e-governance tools while proceeding towards this revitalized system of governance. The CM was addressing an interaction with state government officials themed, “Towards Effective Administration and Good Governance,” here at Saramsa Garden near Ranipool. In attendance were bureaucrats, technocrats and Sikkim

Police top-brass [all above the rank of Under Secretary]. As per official estimates, more than 3,000 gazetted officers attended the interaction today.

Mr. Chamling reiterated that the State administration needs to have a stronger sense of purpose and “reorient the public services into a dynamic, efficient, and accountable apparatus for public service delivery built on the ethos and values of integrity, impartially and neutrality.”

Do not fall prey to unsolicited offers of funds from abroad!

by ANIL KUMAR YADAV

“Greed does not rest until it is satisfied”- Sam EastlandIn the modern era of smart phones, e-mail, internet and Facebook, fraudsters have become much smarter than the users of these technologies. They befriend people on social media platforms like Facebook making starry promises and one fine day they rob you of your hard earned money. Many a times, we receive SMSes out of the blue with messages of winning lotteries, from national and international companies. We are awestruck with such amounts of Dollars and Pounds but hardly reason out how any one on this planet can give you so much wealth for free. Similarly our e-mail boxes are flooded with so many enticing offers that it becomes hard to resist. But at the end of the day our greed overrides all our judgment and we are waylaid by these fraudsters and lose lakhs of rupees in the process.

710 homes constructed on govt funding inaugurated across Sikkim on 18 Jan

GANGTOK, 19 Jan [IPR]: A total of 710 rural houses comprising of 497 houses under the Reconstruction of Earthquake Damage Rural Houses (REDRH) Project, 195 houses of the Chief Minister’s Rural Housing Mission (CMRHM) and 18 houses funded under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund were inaugurated on Sunday throughout the state.