Bar Assc to sponsor 7 earthquake affected children till PG level

Vishnu Neopaney
GANGTOK, July 29: The Bar Association of Sikkim (BAS) is sponsoring the education of seven students till the Post Graduation level from this academic session 2012-13.
The 7 students are from underprivileged families affected by the 18 September 2011 earthquake and had been taken into shelter by social activist Keepu Tshering Lepcha at Chandmari Chongey Raod, Gangtok under Children’s Village. At present, the students are studying at Human Development Foundation School at Rongyek.
BAS resolved in its general body meeting to contribute sponsorship from their ‘18 September, 2011 Earthquake victim Relief Fund’ in which they raised a total of Rs. 16.36 lakh.
BAS president DR Thapa informed NOW! that the children were identified through a process of selection from different places of Sikkim. A Trust has been created to operate the funds which would be kept in a fixed deposit and the yearly interest utilized for the children’s up keep.
Various people and organizations have contributed towards the fund including many from outside the state informed Mr. Thapa. These include various Bar Associations of India and also the Supreme Court.
The decision to sponsor the education of the seven students was unanimously welcomed and appreciated by the members of the Bar Association of Sikkim and also applauded by High Court of Sikkim and Supreme Court Judges.  
The BAS had reached out to the victims of devastating earthquake to aid and help them and had travelled the length and breadth of Sikkim including places totally cut-off by the earthquake and had delivered the relief materials to the victims.

Deptts submit DPRs for Rs. 1,471 crore worth of earthquake repairs

VISHNU NEOPANEY
GANGTOK, 12 June: All State Government Departments, except the Social Welfare Department, have submitted Detailed Project Reports amounting to Rs. 1,471 crore for reconstruction and rebuilding of the 18 September 2011 Earthquake damage in the State.
The proposed DRPs were made against the Prime Ministers’ Relief Fund announced by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his post earthquake visit to Sikkim on 29 September 2011. The detailed project reports approved by the State Cabinet in different phases include the reconstruction of the Secretariat building at a cost of Rs. 193 crore. Another Rs. 324 crore has been sanctioned and approved for reconstruction and retrofitting of 13 other civil secretariats (13 department State headquarters in Gangtok).
The government has also approved construction of 7,972 earthquake damaged rural houses to the tune of Rs. 391 crore against the proposed Rs. 454 crore.
Similarly, under the Department of Roads and Bridges, the government has sanctioned and approved the renovation and rebuilding of state roads and bridges to the tune of Rs. 216 crore against the proposed Rs. 200 crore. The additional costs of Rs 16 crore has been earmarked for rebuilding and renovation of rural roads under Rural Management and Development Department.
The Department of Planning along with the Department of Disaster Management have also allocated the funds as per the DPRs prepared for other government establishments for renovation and reconstruction including retrofitting. Rs.20 crore has been earmarked for retrofitting of Sikkim Police headquarter, Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Human Resource and Development, Social Welfare, State Archives, Forest, Environment and Wildlife management and Working Women’s Hostel, Deorali.
Besides these, Rs.50 crore has been sanctioned for renovation and reconstruction of school buildings, Rs. 5 crore for ICDS centres, Rs.20 crore for Public Health Sub-Centres under Health, Human Care and Family Welfare department, Rs. 5 crore for Animal Husbandry and Livestock, Rs. 10 crore for Rural Management and Development Department, Rs.70 lakh for Paljor Stadium, Rs. 50 lakh for Food Preservation Factory at Singtam, Rs.6 crore for Urban Development and Housing Department, Rs.52.80 crore for State Power Projects and Rs.30 crore against the proposed Rs 200 crore for renovation of drinking water and sewerage systems in Sikkim.
These DPRs were sanctioned and approved as part of the long term programme of the state government under the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. Apart from these, the state government has received Rs 270 crore for short term programmes including the rehabilitation and rescue work from the National Disaster Relief Fund.

Earthquake rehabilitation reinforced with monitoring cells and improved preparedness measures

GANGTOK, 18 March: Now that the earthquake rehabilitation funds have begun coming in from the Central government, the State has initiated process to institute proper processes for their utilization and monitoring and is also now focusing on strengthening its disaster response for the future.
All departments receiving funds from the Centre as per their respective DPRs have been directed by the Relief Commissioner to set up dedicated monitoring cells to keep regular tabs on progress of repair and rebuilding works and monitor utilization.
The state government, officials inform, is particularly focused on the proper utilization of these funds for their stated purposes. Coordination meetings are being held with the line departments on a regular basis to assess the progress of restoration works as well as to discuss disaster preparedness for the year ahead, which is expected to be a worrying phase with the soil and underlying rock mass in various areas rendered vulnerable to the monsoons by the 18 September earthquake.
Meanwhile, the State government, through the Land Revenue and Disaster Management department, is also focusing on disaster preparedness for the coming year, informs the Relief Commissioner, S Bhadauria.
A major awareness and coordination drive with the district authorities is to be launched in April. This drive will include the active involvement of Civil Defence teams, the line departments, district authorities as well as central agencies.
The focus will be on coordination among the various agencies and setting up cells in various localities comprising of residents to respond efficaciously and expeditiously to natural calamities in their respective areas. The other major focus of this drive will be to identify vulnerable zones and areas as well as structures. These, the Relief Commissioner informs, will be put under special watch.
The identification and watch of vulnerable zones and structures will be done with the help of residents of the respective areas. It is expected that the monsoon will wreak havoc in the form of landslides and disruptions in road communication in various parts of the state which has been weakened and made vulnerable in the wake of the earthquake. This requires proper preparedness and prevention measures which the state is preparing to work out with this major drive.
Facilitation centres are also to be opened in the district offices which will provide shelter and immediate relief measures to people affected by natural calamities. The internet is to be used in a big way for communication and assessing of information, particularly to provide hourly updates on road status and information on any calamity and which will provide updated information. On the other hand it was informed that the Civil Defence is to be rejuvenated in all the districts.

Centre clears Rs. 1,269.15 cr for earthquake rehabilitation

MORE FUNDS TO COME FOR PROJECT SPECIFIC DPRs BY INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS FOR RESPECTIVE MINISTRIES
GANGTOK, 15 March: The State government has been sanctioned a total of Rs. 1,269.15 crore, as of now, by the central government as package for the rebuilding and restoration measures to be undertaken in the wake of the 18 September earthquake. This also includes the Rs. 1,000 crore package announced by the Prime Minister during his Sikkim visit after the earthquake. Of this sanction, the state has received Rs. 296 crore thus far, it is informed.  The remaining amount is expected to be released with the submission of detailed project reports by the respective departments.
It is informed that the DPRs of most of the line departments have been submitted. With this formality completed, it is expected that the remaining amount, along with further funds under different schemes, will now be released in the next financial year.
Apart from the Rs. 296 crore, the state has also received Rs. 227.51 crore from the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF) which was sanctioned to the State to undertake immediate relief and restoration measures such as the restoration of power lines, road network, classrooms etc. Another Rs. 41.64 crore was released for restoring rural water supply infrastructure in the state.
The total amount so received as of now is against the DPR amounting to Rs. 1,471 crore put up by the state government. It is informed that departments such as PHE and others are also in the process of preparing special detailed project reports for submission to their relevant ministries in the central government for special sanction of funds. The total amount will depend on the final preparation of the DPRs and their evaluation by the central ministries.
Of the Rs. 1,000 crore sanctioned by the central government under the Prime Minister’s package and of which Rs. 96 crore has been received, Rs. 193 crore is for the rebuilding and reconstruction of the damaged Tashiling secretariat; Rs. 391 crore for rural housing woks; Rs. 216 crore for roads; Rs. 170 crore for reconstruction of damaged buildings including school and other government buildings and Rs. 30 crores for restoration and rehabilitation of drinking water supply in different areas in the state.