Darap eco-tourism team stresses need to standardize and streamline home stay guidelines

GANGTOK, 13 Aug: 35 aspiring entrepreneurs from Darap Eco-Tourism Development Committee (DETDC), the society that has recently been recognized as the top ten Locals in Tourism in the World and the best village tourism website by UK based newspaper, The UK Guardian were in Gangtok as part of a two-day long exposure trip under the capacity building programme for service providers organized by DETDC in collaboration with Sikkim Tourism and sponsored by MoT, GoI.
The society which has put Darap village in West Sikkim on the top home stay destinations in the region and the country have also been awarded the Best Tourism Development Committee in the state in 2010. With 30 rooms in the village now available to tourists, the village has not looked back since it started with the idea back in 2007.
On 11 August, an interactive meet was organized between the stakeholders and representatives of Sikkim Hotel and Restaurant Association (SHRA) and TAAS. Present were SHRA, president, Bhanu Pratab Rasaily, TAAS, general secretary, S Norgey Lachungpa, local entrepreneur Pintso Gyatso and president, DETDC,Sushil Tamang.
During the meet the DETDC president while thanking SHRA for its pivotal role in assisting the committee for the logistics support, initiation of capacity building programmes and development of marketing strategies and publicity through Mayfair resorts and Hotels under its corporate social responsibility initiative spoke on major thrust areas that need to be addressed urgently for the smooth development of the home stay tourism sector.
Amongst the points discussed was the need for the state government to standardize and streamline the guidelines for home stays since they were not in place at the moment.
“There have to be separate norms for home stays since it is a different product that we are selling tourists. There have to be licensing in place if you want to deliver a top product to the clients. Presently we do not have rules which will enable us to restrict entry of antisocial elements and also look into matters of death, etc, if something untoward were to happen here,” stated Sushil Tamang.
Giving an example he mentioned that hotels have form C/D for foreigners but there was no such provision in place for home stays which was an area the government should look into. It may be informed that a total of 1500 tourists visited Darap village this tourist season out of which 70 percent were foreign and high-end tourists.
While stating that now home-stay service providers should change their mindset of waiting for the government to “spoon-feed” this sector he stressed that it was now the responsibility of the stakeholders to give back to the state. Here, he added that the support of the state government was valued but more grooming on these areas was needed for the operators.
Similarly, SHRA president, Bhanu P Rasaily during the interactive session spoke on the international recognition Darap had received in the past few years and commented that it was the dedication of the members that had made the same possible.

During their two-day visit, the entrepreneurs were taken to the Mayfair Spa, the casino and its restaurant where they were given an overview of how a top-end hotel functions.  

Sikkim growers tour Large Cardamom plantations in Lava

GANGTOK, 21 March [IPR]: Eighty farmers elected from all four Districts of the State were taken on a tour of Lava in Algarah Block of Kalimpong Sub-division in Darjeeling District of West Bengal in February-March 2012 as part of an exposure tour to areas where significant success has been achieved in large cardamom farming. The group visited large cardamom plantations at Gitbeong village and learnt of the different management practices adopted by the farmers there.
The farmers were escorted by Deputy Director of the Department and accompanied by Horticulture Development Officers along with Assistant Director, Mr. Ramalingam and Mr. Pradhan, Senior Farm Manager of Spices Board Office, Kalimpong, the organization instrumental in supporting the efforts of the large cardamom farmers of Darjeeling District.
Lava was selected for the visit as the region shared close similarity in terms of agro-climate and edaphic conditions including altitudinal aspects which was comparable with the large cardamom growing regions in Sikkim. Gitbeong village in Algarah Block is flanked on either side by Kalimpong Block and Gorubathan Block which includes Today, an important large cardamom growing belt in the region.
The main aim behind organising the tour was to provide Sikkim farmers an opportunity of informal learning through interactions and exchange of knowledge, information, views and idea.
“A very well maintained plot. We should also adopt the same method of planting,” exclaimed the jubilant farmers, T. Laripa and ST Bhutia, from Pelling.
Karma Bhutia and Nakul Rai from Assam Lingzey remarked that it was possible to maintain the same type of crop in Sikkim as well if the practices followed in Lava were adopted in earnest. Naku Lepcha of Lingi, South District, turned nostalgic upon finding himself at the same plantation from where he had procured the large cardamom suckers for his field six years ago and where it was still performing satisfactorily.
Lakpa Tarbu Sherpa, Panchayat President of Kewzing Bakhim GPU of South District and Khimu Lepcha, ex-Zilla Panchayat member of North District, expressed gratitude towards the Department for the opportunity provided to farmers through the exposure tour.
The agronomic practices followed for growing the crop at Lava are completely traditional in nature without use of any synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. The crop is grown under totally organic conditions with use of organic Farm Yard Manure along with provision of irrigation water during the lean winter season using indigenous methods and resources.
Harvesting is followed by intensive care of the plot through application of organic manure to replenish the soil nutrients. The care extended to each plant after harvest was a critical factor determining further growth and development including yield of the crop in the ensuing season and neglect was something unheard of in the region.
In addition, the harvested culms are all collected, heaped and burnt, thereby helping in effective management of the disease inoculum in field, a farmer practice worth emulating and often neglected by farmers.
Phurba Sherpa, an organic farmer, maintains yielding plots as old as sixteen years which were well managed, healthy and free from pests and diseases. With large cardamom being a cross pollinated crop, a few plants of the Churmpa variety, a wild cultivar of large cardamom which was maintained by each farmer on his plot helped in imparting host plant resistance to the cultivated species.
The itinerary also included visits to the Indian Agriculture Research Institute where farmers of South District interacted with the scientists and observed the pot experiments aimed at managing the viral diseases inlcuding greening disease of mandarin orages being undertaken at Institute.

Rajasthan Minister remembers Sikkim fondly, shares details of green energy agenda of his Govt

ANAND OBEROI
JAIPUR, 18 March: “Teesta is one of the most beautiful rivers I have ever seen and then Tsomgo is one place which I recommend everyone to visit,” shared Dr. Jitendra Singh, the IPR Minister of Rajasthan, who is also the minister in-charge for PHED, Energy &Power and also holds the portfolio for the minister for
Green Water development. While interacting with journalists from Sikkim currently on a Rajasthan tour, the Minister made the proud announcement that Rajasthan will soon no longer be the land of sand dunes but a Valley of Solar Energy generating approximately 28,000 MW of solar energy and supplying power
to the entire country. As per plans, this will happen in the next five years.
The Minister, who obviously remembers Sikkim fondly, began the interaction session with condolences on behalf of all Rajasthan for the lives lost to the 18 September Earthquake in Sikkim. On the policy thrust areas of his State, he highlighted that green energy generation was being diligently pursued by the
Government here. With 36,000 square miles of desert at Jaiselmer alone, solar energy presented a natural option. Rajasthan is already the Number One state in solar energy generation with 1,500 MW slated to be generated by 2013. At present, Rajasthan generates 924 MW of solar energy.
“Our mission to become self-sufficient by 2017 and then start supplying power to the rest of the country as well. At present, we have a deficit of 300 lakh units,” the Minister informed, while adding that the State was generating 38,000 MW of power at present through different options like thermal and wind.
It may be mentioned that Rajasthan also stands second to Tamil Nadu in generation of wind energy with an output of 1,850 MW. The state has been increasing its green power generation by 15 percent annually even as it is developing 6 Super Thermal power stations at an estimated cost of Rs. 6,000 crore.
The Minister, as mentioned, also holds the PHE portfolio and admitted that supply of drinking and irrigation water supply to dry areas presented a major challenge to Rajasthan. This, the state plans to resolve by developing largest canal network in the world which – the Indra Gandhi Canal - which will flow from Himachal Pradesh through various areas in Rajasthan and into Chambal in Madhya Pradesh, considered one of the driest areas.
As for the media scene in Rajasthan, Mr. Singh, who also holds the IPR portfolio, informs that there were over 14,500 accredited journalists in Rajasthan and that they enjoyed access to free residential plots and other subsidies here.The Minister also delved at length on initiatives taken by the Rajasthan government to improve the male to female ratio in the State with such schemes as Janini Sishu Suraksha Yojana under which the State pays for all maternity and delivery cases of Rajasthini women. While informing that 16 lakh women had already benefited under this scheme since it was launched last year, he added that 1.3 lakh jeeps have been provided to GPUs across the State to bring in maternity patients from the villages to hospitals for free.
There was also a scheme under which the government paid for the wedding expenses of daughters of widows, a first of such initiatives in the country.

Journos go sight-seeing in Pink City – Jaipur

VISIT ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, DOORDARSHAN KENDRA, PRESS CLUB OF JAIPUR APART FROM POPULAR TOURIST SITES
ANAND OBEROI
JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN, 16 Mar: The second day at the Pink City which is also the third day of the ten-day exposure tour for nine journalists from Sikkim to Rajasthan  started with a leisurely sightseeing tour across the city which included Tripola Towers, the famous Hawa Mahal situated in the heart of the city, the speciality of this palace is that it has a total of 365 windows which has three small air outlets in each window which makes natural air conditioning possible in the place in an amazing feat of historic engineering by the Rajputs.
The journalists then proceeded to the world famous Amer Fort which is also being restored and renovated under JNURM at an estimated Rs 4.31 crore out of which works upto Rs 3 crore has already been completed. Surrounded amidst tourists and historians from all over the globe, the journalists were taken to areas inside the Fort which have been prohibited for the general public because of the fragility of the narrow naturally air-conditioned marble tunnels. This amazing feat of architecture and the enormity of the work that was done in a period when only elephants, horses and camels could carry such heavy loads was a sight to see.
The beauty and integrity of the carvings and sculpturing done along the walls, the way in which the ancient Rajput architects developed the columns that supported the high ceilings and their ingenious ways to make life in a time and area where only the sun and heat is supreme was an amazing and fascinating sight to see.
After spending time watching snake charmers and negotiating our way back to the vehicle stand while entrepreneurs enticed us to purchase traditional artefacts and memorabilia from the land of the Maharajas from small stalls, the journalists were taken to another amazing feat of architectural history, the Jaal Mahal, a small but beautiful palace situated in the middle of a lake while on the way back to the Pink City.
Earlier, during the day the journalists also visited the Environmental Research and Development centre for waste water treatment plant at Delawas in South Jaipur which is the largest such plant in the entire state of Rajasthan.
The journalists representing different news houses from Sikkim interacted with the management authorities of the raw sewerage treatment plant which is run by a Chennai-based company VA Wabag Ltd in association with Jaipur Municipal Corporation funded by JNURM which is spread in an area of 96 bigha.
There are two plants in the area that treat approximately 62.5 million liters of waste water each day channelled only from South Jaipur and is amazingly also the first power generating plant generating 8576 kilo watts of electricity per day from treating sewerage. Coming in second is the Jaisinghipura Khor plant which caters to North Jaipur and has a capacity of 50 million liters of water per day.
Plant Manager, Pravin Manjeraker said that the aim behind running the plant was to ensure health, safety and environmental policy of the state government and the centrally sponsored JNURM.
The journalists then visited the Doordarshan Kendra, Jaipur which is one of the three in Rajasthan. The journos were taken around the news rooms, the studios and shown how a TV channel actually functions and how one gets to see what we see on television every second of every day.
The day ended with a visit to the impressive Press Club of Jaipur considered one of the three best Press Clubs in the country that has a membership of 5000 non accredited and 2000 accredited journalists after a drive along Rajpath, the Rajasthan Secretariat, the High Court, the Sawaiman Singh stadium and the central park which also has the world’s largest Indian flag hoisted in its premises.

BHARAT NIRMAN IN RAJASTHAN

Villagers stake ownership, deliver well
ANAND OBEROI
JAIPUR, 15 March: Nine journalists from Sikkim arrived here at the Pink City’s Bikaner House yesterday at around 2 a.m. after bad weather delayed the flight from Bagdogra to Delhi by over five hours. The journalists are a part of a ten-member exposure tour sponsored by the Press Bureau of India to better understand the implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes in Rajasthan.
The Press team from Sikkim, accompanied by members of the Jaipur PIB and local government officials, yesterday visited the panchayat Samiti of Bassi in Jaipur district where they interacted with the locals and officials on the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme.
Under MGNRGS, it was found that unlike Sikkim where the Bharat Nirman Rajeev Gandhi Sewa Kendras has not yet started, in the Jaipur district alone 39 such Kendras [in 39 gram panchayat units] have begun, offering the Rajasthan government with a good option to keep tabs on the implementation process.
These small but efficient structures are staffed by employees appointed by the panchayat member committees, are appointed with running water and toilet facilities, computers with internet, fans and electricity which is all generated by power from solar panels installed on the roofs. Villagers from each samiti can get access to their works, bills and follow up their payments from these Kendra’s.
These Kendras are mainly set in areas where a majority of population are Scheduled Caste.
Similarly, under NREGS works initiated in Bassi panchayat samiti, 106 works of different categories are under progress engaging 5,084 labourers. Community-based initiatives and public participation is the name of the game here with each family member employed in various works initiated in each panchayat samiti. One such example is the construction of a ‘Nala Nirman Hanuman Mandir to Samshan Ghat’ footpath project. Members of these Kendras are local heads and elders who have, through their Kendras, developed this project for which an estimated budget of Rs. 27 lakh was sanctioned which interestingly they completed at an expenditure of only Rs. 13.72 lakh, the remaining amount being then utilised to develop other small projects like drains to divert waste water and rain water.
Such is the involvement of the locals in these kendras which they have taken up  as their own ‘office’ from where they function for a better habitation, greatly reducing soil erosion and providing better living conditions to the residents and setting examples for the rest of the country to follow.
Later during the day, the journalists were taken to Kasturba Gandhi Balika Awasia Vidhalaya for girls. There are 200 such residential schools established all over Rajasthan with an average of 100 girls studying free and learning vocational skills along with pursuing education till standard VIII in each school.  The team also visited special education centres for disabled children where they interacted with the children sharing information about Sikkim. The team also visited the government horticulture farm in Dindol, Bassi Block, Jaipur, which is spread in an area of 222 hectares with state of the art farming of fruits, vegetables and flowers.

SICB takes livelihood school trainees for hands-on organic farming training to Madhya Pradesh

GANGTOK, 14 Mar: The State Institute of Capacity Building (SICB), Karfectar, South Sikkim has organized an exposure-cum-outreach program for 19 (nineteen) trainees of Martam-Rumtek and 06 (six) trainees of Rhenock Livelihood Schools respectively along with two escort teachers for undergoing one month hands-on training on “Dhabholkar’s Method of Organic Farming” and “Natueco Farming” at Malpani Trust, Krushi Teerth, SHARAN, at Madhya Pradesh.
A press release informs that the trainees will learn sustainable soil making without any market input. They will be trained on various aspects like  Soil Management, Root and Canopy Management, Pruning, Water Management, Treatment of Sick Plants, Importance of Biodiversity, Enrichment of soil by recycling biomass and by establishing a proper energy chain, Harvesting the sun through proper plant canopy management for efficient photosynthesis, Development and maintenance of white root zones of the plant for efficient absorption of nutrients and Minimizing the use of external resources including water. They will be also trained on “How to plan your own farm”.
According to the release the trainees will also be trained in Natueco Farming which has a strong correlation with how we use energy and water as a resource. In an age where farming is considered as a source of income, Natueco brings home the point that such activity needs to be holistic and stem from a larger vision.
Natueco farming and its practice requires one to draw connections of their life with this culture and live in sync with the other elements in their immediate environment. For instance, healthy soil with balanced composition of elements and microbes improves not only the health of the plant but also transcends into the life of people interacting with this environment, the release mentions.
SICB has taken this task as a Pilot Project, to have ‘Visible Productivity'  in the field of Agriculture and other allied sectors, the release adds. The whole program was coordinated and collaborated by Deputy Director (C.P & E), Ranjan Rai under the guidance of Chief Administrator of SICB, SD Dhakal.

Elected representatives on an exposure visit to Himachal Pradesh

GANGTOK, 23 Jan: In a bid to provide exposure to different parts of the country under capacity building initiatives to the elected members of the GPUs and ZPs, the Rural Management & Development Department, had organised a 10-day visit to Himachal Pradesh for the first group comprising of 16 Panchayat Presidents, Secretaries and Members from 08 to 18 January.
A press release informs that the objective was to provide an opportunity to the elected members to see how Gram Sabhas in various Panchayat units were organised and the PRI was functioning in other states.  The elected members reaped the benefits of such exposure-cum-study visit by learning new things and enhancing their knowledge, skills and attitude through interactions and experience sharing.
The group first visited Mandi District of Himachal Pradesh.  The District Planning Officer at Mandi gave an overview of his district and the system of PRI in vogue.  The group was also introduced to the Intermediary Panchayats or the so called Block Samities by the respective Block Development Officer, the release mentions. An opportunity was also given to the Sikkim group to attend one of its general body meetings at the Block level. The group was then introduced to a number of Self Help Groups and exposed to their activities.
The team visited various Gram Panchayat Units and saw its functioning especially in the implementation of MGNREGA, Water shed harvesting schemes etc.  The group also visited Kullu - Manali areas and interacted with the local panchayats and self help groups.  Such exposure visits would go a long way in improving and honing the capacities of the elected representatives and functionaries in the PRI for managing local self governance, the release further mentions.
Earlier, between 15 – 21 March in 2011 a group of Panchayat Presidents had also visited Manipur for participation in the “Inter-State Interactive Experience Sharing Programme for Beacon Panchayats” hosted by SIRD, Manipur.
Also, 17 staff members of SIRD were sent for an exposure-cum-study visit to NIRD and other Institutions of repute in Hyderabad, the release adds.

Exposure tour organized for West Sikkim farmers

GANGTOK, 23 Jan: The Department of AH, LF&VS, Extension and Training Cell organized an exposure tour for progressive farmers of West Sikkim from 15 – 21 Jan. The objective of the tour was to make the farmers aware of progress achieved in the selected farms in the field of dairy farming, poultry farming, piggery, turkey farming, backyard poultry farming, meat processing and packing. growth and development of Azolla (a quick growing aquatic fodder of nutritious value), informs a press release.
Maity Poultry Pvt. Limited Kurmapur, Midnapur, West Bengal Co-operative Milk Producer’s Federation Ltd., Kolkata Mother Dairy Dankuni, Hoogly, West Bengal state poultry farm, Tollygunje and Harrringata Farm Mohanpur, Noida were the farms the group visited.
A review meeting with department officials was held in Sikkim House, Kolkata on 21 Jan which was presided over by Joint Director West AH, LF&VS, Dr. DS Tewari, the release informs.
On the very outset BB Chhetri, a farmer from Mangalbaria, Rinchenpong expressed gratitude to the government for facilitating such an expansive tour. Mr Chhetri is one of the farmers selected for poultry estate at Mangalbaria which will be started soon.
He highlighted that temperature maintenance at brooder stage, grower stage is crucial for poultry farming in hilly regions and in the absence of electricity, heating sand in metal or earthen pot can sustain heat for 10-12 hours, the release mentions.
After this Chintamani Sharma from Timburbung said that they learnt that local feed preparation by mixing all locally available ingredients like ground maize, rice husk, mustard cake etc is more economical and farmers are spending more in purchasing feeds in Sikkim at present.
Sushma Subba of Sardong Dentam highlighted on Azolla culture for availing feed in lean period. She also expressed gratitude to the government for giving equal opportunities to women farmers. While, Sandeep Subba from Gareythang Tashiding highlighted on the need of rat and snake proof poultry farm.
Livestock Assistant, Dodak veterinary centre, Bhim Shankar highlighted on the need of such exposure tours for understanding new mechanisms and technology in modern farming system. Dr Tewari summed up the session by urging all the farmers to be more hard working and prompt in adopting technology as per the requirements, the release adds.

Mamring Sr Sec school thanks CM and others for educational excursion tour

GANGTOK, 19 Dec: The Principal, staff and students of Government Sr. Sec. School, Mamring, East Sikkim, have expressed their heartfelt gratitude to the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling for providing a sum of Rs.1 lakh as fund for an educational excursion, in a press release issued today.

Team sent on an exposure trip on Bamboo expresses gratitude

SINGTAM, 09 Nov: A 23-member team from Sikkim which was sent on an exposure trip on the use of bamboo to Assam and Nagaland in September has expressed their gratitude to the Sikkim government for the opportunity.