IPR Deptt meets to coordinate and follow-up on govt directives

Gangtok, 02 June [IPR]:  A departmental coordination meeting of the Information & Public Relations Department was held at the Soochna Bhawan conference hall here today. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary CC Wangdi and was attended by Director CC Bhutia, senior officers and all staff, including the District Information Officers.
The meeting was held mainly to review and assess the action taken on the last meeting and also to brief officials on the directives issued by the government during the last coordination meeting with the Cabinet Ministers and the Departmental heads.
At the outset, the Secretary briefed the officers on the directives received by the government during the meeting held at Samman Bhawan, Gangtok. She also apprised the officials and staffs about the various activities and works carried out by the department so far and in the same manner urged them to be innovative, responsible, efficient and disciplined in their day to day functioning.
She also directed the officers and staff to strictly follow the procedure and norms laid by the Government while performing their duties. She also laid stress on efficiency and accountability in their work as it reflects the Government working system. The Secretary added that there is a need to pay attention to punctuality and seriousness while discharging the duties. She stressed on the strict compliance towards their designated duties duly emphasizing on quality and follow the instruction of the government religiously in full letter and spirit.
She also went on to maintain cleanliness in the department and also directed the sectional heads to look into.
The Secretary on behalf of all officials and staffs extended her gratitude to the Government for providing a new building for the department and also expressed her appreciation for coordination amongst the employees.
During the meeting, the grievances were also put up by the officials and staffs wherein the Secretary assured to look into it.
Earlier, the Director presented the welcome address while SW Shenga, A.D., proposed the vote of thanks.

Sikkim RTI Forum accuses IPR Deptt of unfair recruitment practices

GANGTOK, 30 Nov: Sikkim RTI Forum has levelled allegations of violation of rules of appointment in staff recruitment against the IPR Department on the basis of an RTI application it had filed.
A press release issued by the Forum’s general secretary, DK Chettri, informs that as per the reply of the IPR Department to an RTI query, 11 persons were appointed on ad-hoc basis by the State Public Service Commission [SPSC] and were later regularised by the department. On this Mr Chettri has alleged that the ad-hoc appointments were made by SPSC without any written examination or interview.
The Forum has questioned such recruitment practices and further accused the department of nepotism in recruiting staff.

Govt seeks innovative slogan for Intl Flower Show

GANGTOK, 07 Sept [IPR]: The Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Sikkim invites entries for innovative caption / slogan for the publicity of Sikkim International Flower Show of not more then four words.
The winning entry will be awarded a cash prize of Rs.5000. The caption may be sent to deeki62@gmail.com or khawasb@gmail.com
Last date of entry is 29 September, 2012.

Winners of IPR Department’s photography competition declared

GANGTOK, 25 July [IPR]: The six-day photography exhibition cum competition organized by the IPR Department concluded here at Gangtok, today.
The valedictory function had Secretary IPR Department, KS Tobgay as chief guest. The judges of the competition Kiran Rasaily and Raman Shrestha were also present during the function.
The chief guest gave away the certificate and cash prizes to the winners of the competition. The first prize was awarded to the photograph titled ‘Make a wish, take a chance’ by Satyam Rai of Gangtok, and the second prize went to the photograph titled ‘Pug marks’ by Karchoong Diyali of Gangtok. The winners were presented a certificate and cash award of Rs. 25,000 and Rs.20,000 respectively. Three consolation awards with a certificate and cash prize of Rs. 10,000 each were also presented to Gyaltsen Lama, Chewang Bonpo and Kunga Tashi Lepcha of Gangtok.
Addressing from the chair Mr Tobgay congratulated the winners and thanked the participants and expressed his hope for future participation as well. He urged the participants and artists to come forward with their ideas and interact with the Department to promote the field of photography.
The department will always try to facilitate and provide a platform to the talents of the state, he said. He said that the objective behind the competition was to project local talents and encourage them to expose their art.
In his address, Mr. Rasaily said that the judges had a tough time in judging the competition as all the photographs were unique and beautiful in their own way. He also appreciated the works done by the photographers and the department in promoting this field. One of the judges, Raman Shrestha also shared his views on the occasion. The function concluded with the vote of thanks delivered by Deeki Euthenpa.
The department had received 532 photographs from more than 80 participants out of which 54 photographs were shortlisted for the final round of competition and displayed for exhibition.

IPR photo-exhibition scores well with visitors

WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED TODAY
GANGTOK, 24 July: The five-day Photography Competition cum Exhibition at the Star Cinema Hall complex here at MG Marg will be concluding tomorrow with the declaration of the names of winners. The exhibition, which had opened on 20 July, is being organized by the Department of Information & Public Relations.
The exhibition has been receiving a good number of visitors including students from different schools of in-and-around Gangtok. The organizers have also been receiving encouraging comments and feedbacks from visitors.
Some of the visitors mentioned that this exhibition was a good platform to see and learn about landscapes, flora and fauna of the state. They further stated that the photographs have also made them feel proud of the natural beauty of the state.
It is an initiative of the department to encourage talented photographers from all around the state so that they can nurture their hobby into a profession.

Justice Patra has not resigned: Govt

GANGTOK, 31 Jan: The Information & Public Relations Department today dismissed as “factually incorrect and without basis”, news-reports appearing in a section of the media here suggesting that Justice RK Patra has resigned. “Justice Patra is still serving in the State Government, and any news item that states otherwise is false, malicious and mischievous,” the IPR reiterates in a press release issued today.

IPR hands over Positive Journalism Grants

GANGTOK, 21 Nov: Five journalists, whose names were announced on National Press Day [16 Nov], received the Positive Journalism Grant of Rs. 10,000 each from the Department of Information & Public Relations at a special function held here today with Advisor, Social Welfare Department, BB Gooroong, as the chief guest.

Govt to financially support filmmaking

GANGTOK, 02 Sept [IPR]: The Information and Public Relations Department has issued rules for eligibility of financial support to filmmakers. Such financial support will only be eligible to local film makers and the maximum limit of financial support will be Rs. 20 lakh per film. However prior to production, the script of the film will first have to be approved by the IPR department and in this regard it is stated that approval of the script is not to be taken as sanction of financial assistance. Once the film production has been completed the film will be evaluated technically by the IPR department. The government reserves the right to decide on the quantum of financial assistance to be granted.

BJP thumbs down IPR photo exhibition

GANGTOK, 01 May: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sikkim unit has criticized the ongoing photo exhibition, “Sikkim Then & Now”, put up by the Information & Public Relation Department at Star Hall, contending it to be “void of the true history of Sikkim”, conveys a press release issued by the Sikkim BJP president, Padam Bahadur Chettri.
The party has alleged the department of conveying the wrong history of Sikkim to the public, and alleged that the department was trying to keep the public in the dark by not “exposing” the present times of a Sikkim “gripped by social ills”.

Now Showing at Star Cinema Hall: Sikkim Then and Now

GANGTOK, 30 May [IPR]: The “Sikkim Then and Now” photo exhibition organized by the Information & Public Relations Department was inaugurated by Gangtok MLA, Dorjee Namgyal Bhutia, at Old Star Cinema Hall in the capital today. Gangtok Mayor, KN Topgay, was present as a special guest.
The exhibition has photographs from pre-Merger Sikkim [starting from 1934] to present-day Sikkim and is themed on the various developmental achievements of the State and also features vignettes from the village-to-village tour of Chief Minister Pawan Chamling.
The aim of the exhibition is to give a glimpse of the past and the present to the people especially the younger generation and tourists. The exhibition will be continue till 14 June.

Press Club calls in IPR Secy, seeks enhancement of ad-rates

GANGTOK, 27 May: The executive committee members of the Press Club of Sikkim, led by their president, Paras Mani Dangal, today submitted a memorandum to Information & Public Relations Secretary, KS Tobgay, seeking enhancement of government advertisement rates and increase in the number of display advertisements released by the department.
The PCS team included the working president Amit Patro, general secretary Bhim Rawat, vice president Rajen Pradhan, treasurer Babboo Tamang, assistant treasurer DR Dulal and publicity secretary Bijoy Gurung.
With the memorandum submitted earlier to IPR Minister CB Karki by the PCS, Mr. Tobgay assured the PCS delegation that the government was seized of the matter and assured to look into the demands in a positive manner. He was also briefed about the pending release of Rs. 5 lakh which had been announced by the Chief Minister in 2009 for the journalists’ welfare fund set up by the PCS.