Ringhim Monastery completes phase-1 of reconstruction, seeks Rs. 2 cr more to complete process

MANGAN, 05 May: Upon completion of phase-I of the reconstruction of Ringhim Monastery damaged by the 18 September earthquake, the Ringhim Gumpa Committee convened a special meeting at the monastery yesterday to table the utilisation details of the Rs. 1 crore released to it by the State Government as the first instalment of the reconstruction process. The well attended meeting which was open to the public was chaired by the Lachen-Mangan MLA, Tshering Wangdi Lepcha, and was also attended by former DC [North], TN Kazi, SDM Mangan, PW Lepcha, former Zilla Adhakshya Lobzang Tenzing, representatives of the monk body headed by Acharya Sherap Rinzing along with invited monks, members of the Mangan Nagar Panchayat headed by president Karma Jigdel Bhutia, panchayat and zilla members, Gumpa committee and the local residents.
The committee also placed a requisition for another Rs. 2 crores for completion of the monastery. The architectural design of the new monastery includes earthquake resistant features.
While presenting the detailed expenditure report, Mr. Lobzang Tenzing, who is also the advisor to the Gumpa Committee, informed that while Rs. 70 lakh was used for procuring construction material, Rs. 10 lakh went towards site development, Rs. 3 lakh to architects and survey, Rs. 11 lakh was expended on labour payment and Rs. 6 lakh was spent on dismantling of the old monastery.
He underlined that the Ringhim Monastery hosts several rituals and prayers, three of which were unique to the monastery and involved the participation of monks from several other monasteries of the state under the guidance of Dodrupchen Rinpoche. This made the monastery special and the need for completion of the reconstruction process more urgent, he said.
Also on the day, five locals were felicitated with tokens of appreciation by the Gumpa Committee for their unconditional support towards the monastery and its activities. The felicitated persons are Sonam Wangdi Bhutia, CT Kazi, Acharya P Dorji, Lazang Lepcha and Phituk Kazi.
Acharya Sherap Rinzing informed that Ringhim Monastery was one of the oldest monasteries of Sikkim, having been in existence for 309 years. He further extended gratitude towards the Chief Minister for his spot-sanction of Rs. 1 crore for the first phase of reconstruction during his tour to North Sikkim after the September earthquake.
Addressing the meeting, the area MLA expressed satisfaction over the timely completion of first phase of the reconstruction. He further informed that the Chief Minister has developed several projects for Buddhists in Sikkim and has left no stone unturned to bring development to the state.
He also informed today that the beautification of Mangan bazaar project was in the pipeline on a Rs. 12 crore budget.
Meanwhile, CT Kazi, president of the Ringhim Gumpa Committee informed that the reconstruction was targeted for completion in one year. Earlier, the function was welcomed by Phituk Kazi and winded up with a vote of thanks proposed by the ward panchayat.

Collaborative effort gets earthquake damaged Ideal Nursery School back on its feet in Mangan

DC NORTH INAUGURATES NEW 2-ROOM SCHOOL BUILDING
MANGAN, 06 Sept:  The District Collector (North), TW Khangsarpa, inaugurated the two-room school building of Ideal Nursery School in Mangan on 05 September.  The school building which was destroyed in last year’s earthquake was rebuilt with the help of a local NGO.
Ideal Nursery School is the oldest private school in North Sikkim and has been educating children from Mangan for the last thirty years.  In the seventies, local people felt the need to have a private nursery school where they could send their children to get a firm foundation in education.
Local people and government officials posted here collected money and provided free labour for building the school rooms.  Late Chewang Negi and Late Dr. Agnihotri were some of the prime movers behind this experiment.  Since its inception in 1982, the school has been run on a self sustaining basis by SM Tenzing.
The school structure was damaged beyond repair by last year’s earthquake.  The then DC, TN Kazi, promised a two-room bamboo prefab structure for housing the school children.  The platform for the structure as per sizes given by the fabricators was prepared and made ready during the winters.  Due to various reasons, despite repeated letters to the Government agencies involved, the prefab units were not sent.  So when a Gangtok-based NGO, Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS), approached the DC for choosing a school to provide post earthquake rehabilitation, Mr. Kazi immediately brought them over to Ideal Nursery School.  ECOSS is headed by PD Rai, Lok Sabha MP for Sikkim.
In a meeting between the School Management, ECOSS and Pan IIT engineers in May, various options were put forward including geodesic domes, bamboo structure and ekra frame.  Pan IIT is a group of IIT engineers who provide free consultancy and advice to disaster stricken areas.  They had visited Sikkim after the earthquake.
Ekra frame GCI roofing was finally chosen due to familiarity of construction method, lightness of the structure and reasonable cost.  The construction was started in June 2012.  To make it more earthquake proof the following innovations have been made in consultations with Pan IIT engineers.  A plinth band runs all round the base of the ekra frame.  Corner bracings have been provided to strengthen the ekra frame.  Wooden gusset frames and steel clamps have been added to make the truss and the truss frame connections stronger.
Similarly, in consultation with Pan IIT, Building as a Learning Aid (Bala) elements have been introduced to make the building more child-friendly.  Bala elements include symmetrical drawing on entrance door, ground level blackboards, grid boards and dot boards, engraved lettering for children to touch and learn, labelling of classrooms etc.
Future plans for Bala elements include painting more games on floors and verandahs, numbering of stairs, educational security grills including mock counters for buying & selling, protractors below doors, etc.  Another Gangtok-based NGO has promised the school a few computers which should be put in place within this academic session.
Regarding help for reconstruction, the school has to primarily thank ECOSS and Matrix Clothing for providing Rs 3 lakh for the two-roomed structure.  The money was used for constructing the two rooms and for building a small office and toilet and repairing and repainting the old room.
The Mangan Nagar Panchayat, through Zongmu Bhutia has also helped by providing Rs 25, 000 as ex gratia payment which was used in dismantling the old structure and making a platform for a new structure.
Area MLA, Tshering Wangdi provided 60 pre-painted GCI sheets through the RMDD housing scheme. Other NGOs and individuals have provided tents, water purifiers, buckets, etc. for helping the school tide over its last eight months under tents.

Public and committee request for early reconstruction of Tholung monastery

WANGCHUK BHUTIA
MANGAN, 04 Sept: Tholung Monastery in Upper Dzongu which suffered substantial damage in last year’s earthquake still awaits reconstruction and renovation work. The posts and pillars of the monastery are almost tilting and appear structurally compromised even as most of the partition walls have collapsed and severe cracks have developed in the remaining partitions. All the belongings of the monastery have been shifted to the Sheda building attached to the monastery.
Panchayat Secretary, Bey ward, Nima Lepcha, while speaking to NOW!, informed that the Ecclesiastical Department had provided an initial amount of Rs. 5 lakh as earthquake relief for Tholung monastery which was utilised in the maintenance of kitchen, footpath to Tholung and other expenses incurred while shifting the belongings of the monastery to the Sheda.
Similarly, the Zilla Member Sakyong-Pentong GPU, Topnam Lepcha who is also a committee member of Tholung Monastery, informed that recently the department had sanctioned Rs. 10 lakh for renovation of the monastery and added that the Gumpa Committee is not sure if this amount would be enough for restoration works.
He further informed that the construction of the Khamsel Lhakhang has been delayed due to the disruption of power supply to Tholung. The power supply line from Bey to Tholung was extensively damaged in the 18 Sept 2011 earthquake.
It may be mentioned here that the Tholung Monastery hosts the auspicious “Khamsel” ceremony every three years when the clothes and other belongings of Lhatsun Chenpo are put on display for devotees who come from across the world. Owing to the lack of space at the monastery, the Khamsel Lhakang was being constructed with a pavilion for this ceremony.
The public and the committee members have requested that the monastery be reconstructed with the same design and size. At present, prayers are being conducted on the ground floor of the under construction Khamsel Lhakang located behind the monastery.
Power Minister, Sonam Gyatso Lepcha who is also the area MLA Dzongu on being asked if the monastery will be reconstructed said that the decision to either renovate or reconstruct the monastery would be taken following the report of technical experts and engineers from the concerned department.
He further informed that, accessibility being a problem, the technical experts had not been able to reach the area till now but with the pathway restored work may begin soon.

Bangalore NGO and locals rebuild earthquake damaged house at Tamang basti

MANGAN, 08 July: A resident of Tamang basti, Upper Singhik, North Sikkim, Diki Choden Tamang’s house had been damaged in last year's earthquake and the Government had provided instant relief of Rs. 15, 000. Local youth, Nursesus Lepcha of Upper Singhik, in coordination with a Bangalore based NGO took the initiative to rebuild the damaged house which was completed recently.
The house has two rooms, a kitchen, toilet and a bathroom. The family, which had been rsiding in a temporary shed since the earthquake, has shifted into their new home.
On Saturday, Ms Tamang and the villagers held a meeting and thanked Mr. Lepcha and the NGO from Bangalore for their help. The team is now reconstructing a second damaged house, this one belonging to Zongmit Lepcha in Ringhim above Mangan. They have plans to rebuild five more houses in the GPU.

Reconstruction of earthquake damaged houses begins in Temi-Namphing

GANGTOK, 23 May: Temi Namphing MLA, BS Pant laid the foundation stone of Reconstruction of Earthquake Damaged Rural Houses [REDRH] at Namphing and Aifaltaar in a programme held on Tuesday. The constituency has become the first in the state to begin this scheme after the MLA laid the foundation stone for these two houses.
These houses are the first to be constructed in the state. The Chief Minister Pawan Chamling had earlier announced construction of pucca houses for the earthquake victims. A total of 14,000 houses will be constructed in the state under the Chief Minsiter Rural Housing Mission [CMRHM], Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojana [MMAY] and REDRH of which 911 houses will be constructed in South under the REDRH scheme, informed District Development Officer, Namchi.
The beneficiaries and stakeholders were later provided orientation at the conference hall of the Block Administration Centre [BAC], Temi Tarku. Mr. Pant, the areal MLA, chaired the programme who in his address expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for providing the highest number of benefits to his constituency. He urged the beneficiaries for their involvement in the construction process. “It is the Chief Minister’s dream to provide these houses to earthquake victims”, he said and informed that the construction will take place under the supervision of the department.
The DDO urged for quality based construction stating that every construction will be later audited by a Chartered Accountant and Social Audit. The construction will be checked from time to time by the district committee, he informed.
The Block Development Officer [BDO], Temi Tarku, SK Pradhan informed that in the first phase, 156 houses will be constructed in the constituency. “We have considered those houses which are fully damaged by the quake. Altogether, a total of 446 houses were fully damaged in Temi-Namphing”, he informed adding that every house will be constructed using retro fitting technique.
These houses will be earthquake proof and with the use of good technology and new design is being initiated in the state with central funding, it was added.
“As the damaged houses in the area are totally collapsed, we recommended REDRH to all for which Rs. 4,89,000 for each house has been allotted.  The selection of beneficiary was made through the Gram Sabha”, informed Mr Pradhan.
AE, Akash Gurung appealed to NGOs and social organizations for a helping hand and urged the use of quality materials in the construction of these houses.

Bhaichung Stadium at Namchi to get a Rs 35 crore revamp

NAMCHI, 15 Feb: Bhaichung Stadium (Alley Ground) will soon be sporting a new look on the lines of an International standard football ground with the Department of Sports & Youth Affairs allocating Rs. 35 crore with the time period of 36 months for its construction.
Local contractor of Namchi, Shanker Agarwal has been given the project of the stadium’s construction which will have two sides with gallery while the other two sides will have an open green gallery. Artificial turf will replace the natural grass in this revamp.
The construction of this stadium will be done under the supervision of HRD Department in coordination with S&YA Department. Excavation work of the ground has started and today Secretary S&YA Department, Karma D. Bhutia along with architects and engineers from HRD Department visited the site and discussed the plan of the stadium.
Later, JD (S/W) S&YS, Kamal Chettri who is also the Nodal supervisor of this project informed that the excavation work has begun and soon the Bhaichung stadium will be at par with International standards football stadium.
He further informed that owing to its scenic location it was decided that two sides of the ground would come up as green galleries. Meanwhile, footballers of Namchi Sports Hostel and SAI will be practicing at the Singithang ground.
The Chief Minister’s Gold Cup, a premier soccer tournament that has been organised by the South District Football Association (SDFA) for the past many years between September-October will take place at the Jorethang Mela Ground for the next three years.

HRDD sanctioned Rs.35 crores for reconstruction; to construct 97 girls hostel as well

GANGTOK, 15 Feb: The Human Resource Development Department is now all set to begin its first phase of reconstruction works of the damages to the government school buildings in the state. the earthquake of 18 September, 2011 had affected virtually all the government schools throughout Sikkim. In fact in many places the reconstruction works have already begun with the department using its internal resources for the reconstruction so as to meet the deadline of school reopening. The department has also constructed a number of temporary classrooms, 665 in all, so as to enable the schools to reopen and for the school children to begin their academic session in time. However it has now been provided with the long awaited funds for the reconstruction process. The state cabinet on 9 February sanctioned Rs. 35.1375 crores for the first phase of reconstruction and repair of schools.
The HRDD will not just been engaged in the reconstruction and repair works but will be constructing new structures as well including school auditoriums, buildings and hostels. A total of 97 girls school hostels are to be undertaken for construction  by the HRDD including in Geyzing and Khamdong; these were in fact approved during the Village Tour of the chief minister.

Old Nga-dag monastery in Namchi to come up as a ‘model’ monastery

The old Nga-dag monastery

PURAN TAMANG
NAMCHI, 06 Feb: Namchi has now become the most sought after town in the state as far as pilgrimage tourism is concerned. The town boasts of various religious spots and sites which cater to followers of various religious faiths of the state. In addition to the already existing attractions like the statue of Guru Padmasambhava and Char Dham, the Namchi Nga-dag monastery, among the oldest and a very important monastery of Sikkim is being upgraded.
Namchi Nga-dag monastery has completed more than 400 years and according to the records, Pendi Ongmoo conspired the murder of her half brother Chhador Namgyal the third King (1686-1717 AD) in order to usurp his throne. However, immediately after, she was put to death in this monastery by the order of the Royal Darbar.
The monastery committee along with the monks erected a substitute monastery in 1978 and after its completion in 1982 all the religious artifacts were transferred from the old monastery to the newly built one. The old monastery was left under the care of the Culture and Heritage Department as a heritage site.
With the view to revive this important heritage site, the Building and Housing Department began upgradation work on the old monastery in 2008 at the cost of Rs. 23 crore which is in the final stages of completion.  Speaking with media persons, the Chultimpa (head administrator), Pem Tsh. Lama of Nga-dag Gumpa informed that this monastery will be a model for other monasteries in Sikkim as its unique design is not found in the entire country.
He on behalf of the Buddhist community living in Sikkim thanked the Chief Minister for his support and for his initiative of the renovation of this historic monastery.