Officials trained on TDPS entitlement and grievances redressal systems

GANGTOK, 07 July: The Food & Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, DB Thapa, has stressed that the department has an important responsibility towards serving the people by ensuring that all benefits, in right time and quantity, reached the beneficiaries. He urged all the officials and field staff of the department to support and ensure provide quality service to the people as directed by the Chief Minister.
He was speaking at the inaugural function of an awareness programme on Entitlement and Grievances Redressal Mechanism under ‘Targeted Public Distribution System’ [TPDS] for functionaries, PRIs, fair price shop owners and beneficiaries today at Janta Bhawan.

Toong Naga fed up with BSNL connectivity problems

MANGAN, 07 July: The area Panchayat, DT Lepcha, and public of Toong-Naga GPU informed mediapersons yesterday that for the last one month they have been facing problems due to disrupted BSNL connectivity in the area. 
The people have complained to the Mangan BSNL office and the headquarters in Gangtok several times but no restoration work has been initiated by the authorities. The desperation of the people is obvious in light of the fact that their area had only BSNL network till recently when Vodafone signals also reached them.  
Similarly, the public of Dzongu and Dikchu have also complained of connectivity problems in the area for the past one month. 

UD&HD to regiment shop signages

GANGTOK, 07 July: Henceforth, establishments can flaunt only one signboard per shop/ office positioned along the building’s front and adhere to a standard size of two and half feet width. In case there is more than one business operating in the premises, the signboards are to be placed on one level along the building frontage.
These rules come into force with the amendment in the Sikkim Regulation for Display of Advertisement Rules, 1987, through a Notification issued by Urban Development & Housing Department dated 16 June.
The amendment further directs that all signage on the signboard should be in English and Devnagari script of one size.

Parliamentary Committee visit expedites high-speed microwave link for telecom services

GANGTOK, 07 July: “The visit of the parliamentary standing committee on Information & Technology was a fruitful one and overall very successful. I am sure that many positive outcomes will follow after this visit,” said Lok Sabha, Member of Parliament PD Rai at a press briefing today. He was speaking about the 3-day visit of the parliamentary committee to Sikkim recently.

Demand Enquiries, Don’t Seek Ex-Gratia

Editorial:
Every time there is destruction to life or property caused by a natural disaster, a routine response plays out –the government releasing ex-gratia payment to the affected people. While it is generous, even necessary if the affected people are already under-privileged, of the government to do so, in most cases, ex-gratia hand-outs gain primacy over the more important aspect of fact-finding. In the absence of a detailed investigation, natural disasters, almost exclusively landslides in Sikkim, receive only piecemeal redressal like a retaining wall, with the real reasons which triggered a landslide remaining ignored. This band-aid approach to confronting the dynamics of a failing slope will have to end if Sikkim is serious about minimising the losses it suffers to slides.

Scooter-riding peddler busted in Pakyong

GANGTOK, 07 July: The Pakyong Police arrested one person in possession of contraband substance, yesterday.
Acting on a tip-off, the Pakyong police nabbed Dil Bahadur Rai [40], son of Shriman Rai, a resident of Namcheybong, Pakyong in East Sikkim, when he was on his way to Pakyong on his scooter [SK-01-3618].
The police intercepted Dil Bahadur Rai at Lall Turning on the Gangtok-Pakyong road at around 7 p.m. and when his scooter was searched, 848 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon [SP] and 29 bottles of Recodex cough syrup were found hidden in a navy blue carry bag.
Dil Bahadur Rai was arrested and a case registered at the Pakyong Police Station under section 9 of Sikkim Anti-Drugs Act [SADA].

Monitoring committee formed at UD&HD

GANGOK, 07 July: The Urban Development & Housing Department has instituted a Committee having its Commissioner-cum-Secretary as Chairman to monitor and evaluate all projects and schemes and other functions of the Department and prepare their stage-wise progress report.
The Committee, constituted through a Government Notification dated 06 June, will also be responsible for setting up a channel of communication in the Department to ensure identification of problem areas within the Department and ensure proper documentation of all “innovations” happening in the Department.
Further, the Monitoring cell will report to the Chief Minister’s Office directly on a quarterly basis.
Other members of the Committee are the Additional Secretary, Joint secretary-I, Deputy Secretary-I, Sr. Accounts Officer-I, Town Planner-I, Divisional Engineer (Planning) and Statistical Officer as its Member Secretary.

Committee to recommend entertainment tax rules for cable operators

GANGTOK, 07 July: To examine and sort out the rate of entertainment tax to be raised from cable television operators in Sikkim with reference to the entertainment tax being levied in other states, the State Government has reconstituted a Committee headed by Additional Secretary, UD&HD as its Chairman. This was notified on 17 June by effecting partial supersession of Notification No.671/UD&HD, dated: 12.06.2010.
Other members of the committee include a representative from Finance Revenue & Exp. Department, representative from Law Department, Joint Secretary (I), UD & HD, Deputy Secretary (Amusement Tax), UD & HD and Under Secretary (Amusement Tax), UD & HD.

CM’s surprise visit to Singtam Hospital finds it in deplorable state

GANGTOK, 06 July [IPR]: On receipt of public complaints, the Chief Minister paid a surprise visit to the District Hospital at Singtam yesterday and found the condition of the hospital highly deplorable.
The dressing room, corridor and toilets were found littered with waste and dirt. The electric supply was erratic and some technicians were absent from their posts.  The CM met the patients at the hospital and enquired after the difficulties faced by them.

Forgotten corner of College Valley receives area MLA’s visit

SUBASH RAI
TADONG, 06 July: The residents of College Valley got an opportunity to lay down the seven reasons how the jhora running between their homes and the college campus was posing threat to their lives and property. The area was visited by their MLA, the Urban Development & Housing Minister, DB Thapa, today.
The Minister, accompanied by SDM [Gangtok], Dr. AB Karki, Councillor Prabhat Gurung, senior officials from UD&HD, Land Revenue Department, HRDD and other departments visited the College Valley area starting from College Gate down to Joredhara Point on NH31A.

Official team inspects constructions under CM’s Rural Housing Mission at Temi

NAMCHI, 06 July: Additional District Collector (Dev) South, DK Pradhan, along with Divisional Engineer (RM&DD, South), BDO Temi, Satyen K Pradhan, Under Secretary Bandana Chettri, other district and block officials inspected the ongoing construction of pucca houses under the Chief Minister’s Rural Housing Mission at Temi block yesterday, informs a press communiqué received from the BDO, BAC Temi.

Baychuthang ready to share its link with Thekong Tek with visitors

MANGAN, 05 July: Nature Conservation Social Organization (NCSO), an NGO based at Baychungthang village of Gairi ward under Kabi-Tingda GPU in North Sikkim, is working on nature conservation issues and seeking to tie in conservation with cultural tourism promotion. Kabi Tingda is already well known for its place in Sikkim’s history, being the area where the Lepcha chief Thekong Tek and the Bhutia chief Khye Bumsa swore blood brotherhood. 

Making the Go-Green idea stick

GANGTOK, 06 July: As a part of the State Government’s initiative to keep Sikkim clean and green, the Forest Department started pasting ‘Go Green’ on vehicles today. The process started with at the Siliguri Taxi Stand next to the Forest Secretariat. 
This sticker was released by the Chief Minister on World Environment Day on 05 June at Chintan Bhawan.
The sticker has the ‘Go Green’ slogan, “Let us join hands for a cleaner future” on the front, while on other side it has the four do’s and don’ts while in Sikkim- ‘Do not feed wild animals’, ‘Do not pluck flowers or damage plants, ‘Do not litter. Dispose trash properly in garbage taxi’ and ‘Respect local culture. Do not urinate in public places.’

Governor announces award for best rural reporting

GANGTOK, 06 July: With an aim to encourage journalists in the area of rural reporting, Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh, has committed to institute a best reporter in rural journalism award, informs a press release. The newly elected members of the Press Club of Sikkim called on the Governor this morning at his official residence at Raj Bhavan, during which the Governor made the announcement.
The Governor informed that the award would be given every year to the reporter who covers rural-based news and stories. The award will be presented on the occasion of Independence Day at a function to be held at Raj Bhavan, the release informs.

Forest Deptt to begin afforestation at drought-prone Salghari

NAMCHI, 06 July: In light of directions passed by the Chief Minister during his Salghari halt as part of his village-to-village tour, that Forest department enhance the green cover in this drought-prone area, the Department convened a meeting at the Salghari Secondary School premises and discussed such plans for the entire belt.

ASESEUA protests backdoor regularization at Building & Housing Department

GANGTOK, 06 July: The All Sikkim Educated Self-Employed and Unemployed Association [ASESEUA] has criticized the manner in which “some bureaucrats and people in power” are pulling strings to get their candidates into government service. As per the organization this nepotism and favoritism has now created a situation where eligibility no longer seems a criteria for employment in the state.

Tourism monitoring committee formed to check against malpractices

TOURISM DEPTT MADE SOLE AUTHORITY TO ISSUE NATHULA TOURIST PASSES
GANGTOK, 06 July: The Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation will now be the sole authority for issuance of permits to the tourists wishing to visit Nathula. Besides, a high powered Monitoring Committee headed by the Chief Secretary is also being constituted by the State Government to check fleecing of tourists by unscrupulous elements.

Sikkim celebrates Dalai Lama’s birthday

GANGTOK, 06 July: The 76th Birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama was celebrated here at the Sera-jey Dho-phenling Monastery at Chandmari today. The celebration was hosted by the Tibetan Settlement Office, Gangtok, Panjha Kiduk and the Tibetan Youth Club.
Addressing the congregation, chief guest NK Pradhan, Minister of Human Resource Development paid homage to the Dalai Lama, stressing that his teachings were for the well being of mankind.

For an Alternate Highway

Editorial:
The State Government has been demanding an alternate highway for Sikkim for quite some time now. The demand ebbs and flows with the intensity of the monsoons and given the manner in which the clouds have been playing, the demand will jump right back on priority in the coming weeks. Delhi is yet to relent with any clear commitments even though the demand is valid and urgent and the Centre has several times made token gestures towards granting the demand. Apart from the fact that Sikkim is too small a player in national politics, the Centre’s indifference is also in line with its short-sightedness displayed in many other important infrastructural projects at the national level.

Avenue plantation in Ravangla

RAVANGLA, 06 July: As part of efforts to make the State Green Mission successful, plantation drives on barren land, whether private or government, have begun across the state.
Range Officer, Ravangla, Anup J Baniya, informs that the “3HV - Three Human Values”, a youth club of Lower Jarrong, South Sikkim, took up avenue plantation from Bering to Dethang PWD road and Lower Jarrong JHS recently.

9-year-old kidnapped from Gangtok, rescued at Rambi

GANGTOK, 06 July: A nine-year-old child was brought back to Gangtok from West Bengal yesterday, rescued from the clutches of a duo which had kidnapped her from her Lower Syari home the previous evening.
An FIR filed by a resident of lower Syari stated that on 04 July, his nine year old daughter went to her cousin’s house nearby. While she was there, she was lured away by some strangers staying in the same locality. The father reported that they might have kidnapped her and taken her away to Rambi in West Bengal.

DoNER Minister brings up 103 vacancies at NEIGRIHMS with Azad

GANGTOK, 06 July: “During my visit to Shillong on 2nd-3rd July 2011, I found that the environment in NEIGRIHMS is vitiated due to inadequate faculty and the resultant agitation by students,” Bijoy Krishna Handique, Minister of DoNER, stated in his letter to Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, today.
Mr. Handique has written to the Union Health Minister seeking the latter’s intervention to fill the 103 faculty positions lying vacant at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS), Shillong.
Mr. Handique mentioned that out of 137 posts at the institute, only 34 have reportedly been filled, which has resulted in dislocation of academic and healthcare activities in the Institute. He also said that this matter was leading to agitations by students demanding posting of adequate number of faculty.

NSYWO felicitates youth awardee Jikme Norbu Bhutia

MANGAN, 06 July: The general meeting of the North Sikkim Youth Welfare Organisation [NSYWO] was held in the residence of Dorjee Tamang on 04 July, chaired by its president Sonam Pintso, and attended by advisor Sonam Topden Bhutia and other members of the organisation.
The organisation felicitated its member, Jikme Norbu Bhutia, for his “valuable and dedicated service to the society and on his being conferred the District Youth Award 2010-2011, becoming the State Youth Awardee 2010-11, and remarkable educational tour to Japan earlier this year”. 

ASDLF meets in Jorethang

GANGTOK, 06 July: A central committee meeting of the All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front was convened today in Jorethang under the chairmanship of its vice president, BM Ramu Damu.
The area MLA, Madan Cintury, highlighting the problems being faced by the labourers and the general public, informed that the State government and the ASDLF were doing their best to resolve the problems while appealing to follow the policies framed by the government which assures their rights and status.

Warped out of shape at Dokey

“LOCALISED NATURE OF LANDSLIDES MAKES PLANNERS LESS SERIOUS IN ADDRESSING IT” 

A house at Dokey village above the landslide zone  stretching from NH 31A along Government Food Preservation Factory, Singtam, to the slope above. The village has around 15 houses, all of which have developed cracks and is sinking because of the slide below. The villagers inform that no government authority has paid any heed to their problems beyond the initial days of the landslide. Worryingly, most of the houses, despite their warped structures, are still occupied. The residents are making do with patchwork repairs of little consequence. The local economy is also suffering.  This photograph is of a house which had a small-scale mineral water bottling unit which has downed shutters as the building has tilted and could collapse at any moment.

ANAND OBEROI
GANGTOK, 05 July: Landslides have been a devastating accompaniment to living in the hills, and people in these parts have grappled with its destruction for centuries. Its common occurrence in the region, a lived-with reality for the people, appears to have unfortunately lost its credibility as a natural disaster worthy of special attention in the files of the National Disaster Risk Management [NDRM] office at the Centre.
This localized impact of landslides has led the rest of the country, especially NDRM to believe that the affect of this form of natural disasters is “not a major threat” against other disasters such as earthquakes, droughts, tsunamis or floods which takeup priority in disaster management and rehabilitation related activities in the country.

Landslide delays travel, fleecing cabbies make it worse

GANGTOK, 05 July: A landslide blocked traffic on National Highway 31A between Rangpo and Siliguri at Bhotey Bhir, around 2 km into West Bengal from Rangpo, last night. Although cleared by 7.30 a.m., the jam caused by various minor landslips, commuters insists, was because of BRO’s unfinished road widening works along the highway. Mainline vehicles took more than eight hours to reach Gangtok from Siliguri.
Apsara, a regular private bus service, which departed from Siliguri at around 7 a.m. reached the private stand here at Deorali only at around 3 p.m. On normal days, it begins its return journey to Siliguri at 1 p.m.
The tired travelers, however, were subjected to opportunist inflation on their arrival in Gangtok.

Happy Birthday, His Holiness

Editorial:
The Dalai Lama turns 76 today. He has been around for longer than any other Dalai Lama, save the First [who lived till he was 83]. While this alone is reason enough for his followers to celebrate his birthday, even the nonbelievers should join the celebrations because the Dalai Lama’s contributions to the secular world are as profound as his hierarchical position in Tibetan affairs is supreme, the transfer of powers to an elected body notwithstanding.

Resettlement & Rehabilitation Committee notified for Sikkim Univ land acquisition

GANGTOK, 05 July: The State Government has constituted a “Resettlement and Rehabilitation Committee” for the land acquisition process of Sikkim University to come at Yangyang in South Sikkim. The Committee will be headed by Secretary, Land Revenue & Disaster Management Department [LR&DMD] as commissioner of the Supervisory Body. He will be assisted by a representative of Sikkim University as a member.

Rangpo Post Office may be declared Heritage Post Office

GANGTOK, 05 July: The Rangpo Post Office may soon be declared as a Heritage Post Office, indicated Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology MP, Achyutan during an informal interaction with mediapersons at Rangpo last evening. He informed that the team will give its recommendations to the Centre which may take the necessary steps in this regard.

Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar for Bijay Bantawa

Outgoing president, Press Club of Sikkim, Parasmani Dangal, [extreme right] hands over charge to the new president Bhim Rawat [left] and general secretary, Joseph Lepcha.

GANGTOK, 05 July: Senior journalist Bijay Bantawa has been selected for the ‘Khangchendzonga Kalam Puraskar’ for the year 2011 conferred by the Press Club of Sikkim. Mr. Bantawa, the editor-publisher of weekly newspaper Himgiri, will receive the award on the 9th foundation day function of the PCS on 17 July here at Gangtok, a press release issued by the PDS publicity secretary, Nirmal Mangar, informs.

Sikkim Pratibha Pratishthan prepares for Bhanu Jayanti celebrations in Pakyong

GANGTOK, 05 July: Sikkim Prativa Prathisthan [SPP], Pakyong, in its preparation for Bhanu Jayanti celebrations has constituted several sub-committees to look after various events.
The celebrations will be presided over by senior litterateur, Mahananda Poudyal, and Gnathang-Machong area MLA, LM Lepcha will be present as chief guest on the occasion, informs a press release.
The celebration will start with a Sobha Yatra from Bhanu Vatika followed by a programme at St Xavier’s School auditorium, which will have Ramayan Path, poetry recitation competition, folk song and dance competitions and debate competition, it is informed.
According to the release, folk song and dance competition is open and audition will be conducted on 08 July at St Xavier’s School and selection test for poetry competition will be held at Puspanjali School on 09 July.
The organizing committee has invited all to take part in the celebrations to make it successful.

Following up on exotic trees decades after they were planted

ONGDEN LEPCHA
I finished reading KC Pradhan’s “The Life and Times of a Plantsman in the Sikkim Himalayas” some months back, without missing a single page. The book is very educative and informative for botanists, floriculturists, plant-lovers, and last but not least, the Sikkim foresters. My personal copy dated February 2009 reminds me that it was released two years back in January with the words “In memory of great people, KC Sir” written on it by me.  After reading the book I decided to thank KC Sir by writing an article, so I dedicate this article to KC Sir.

Tamang Youth Society starts work in Sikkim

GANGTOK, 05 July: Tamang Youth Society [TYS], a not for profit, non-political and non-governmental youth organization, led by “educated, creative and talented Sikkimese Tamang youth having similar aim and vision towards the Tamang society” is working its way across Sikkim, informs a press release.
TYS works at the grassroots level “believing that change from the bottom-up will bring effective, equitable and sustainable results”, the introductory communiqué adds.

Ranka celebrates Padre Ganga Prasad Pradhan’s birth anniv

GANGTOK, 05 July: 160th birth anniversary of Padre Ganga Prasad Pradhan was celebrated yesterday by Unmukti Sahityik Pariwar at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Ranka in East Sikkim. 
The programme was attended by a senior litterateur, Rajesh Lulam Rai of Darjeeling as chief guest accompanied by a popular gospel singer from Darjeeling, John Gurung. 
Associate Editor, Unmukti Sahityik Pariwar, Dhurba Subba gave a brief speech on the life of the Padre.
The chief guest appealed to the house to nurture Nepali language, stressing that it reflected their identity. He also urged on all to make an effort to speak flawlessly.
At the programme various writers- Nirmal Kumar Bungchen, Panchalal Lohar, Santosh Khawas, Dhurba Subba, Ajay Basnett, Kamal Kumar and Emmanuel Gift also presented their latest works which were evaluated by the chief guest, informs a release.

Lower Arithang at risk of slipping even lower

SUBASH RAI
GANGTOK, 04 July: The continuous rainfall of the past week has deteriorated the slip zone at Lower Arithang along the section where it connects with the Indira Byepass and is now posing a threat to the houses of around ten families living there. The area, according to the residents, has been slipping away since 2007, but this year, it has emerged as a more serious sinking zone. This, despite some precautionary works having been carried out in the past. All of those patch-up jobs are now crumbling away.
Speaking to NOW!, Chowrash Tamang, whose house was identified as ‘most affected’ and in need of ‘immediate restoration’, during the visit of the Minister-cum-area MLA, NK Pradhan, District Collector, D Anandan and SDM, Gangtok, Dr. AB Karki recently, said, “To solve this problem, a proper retention wall has to be constructed to protect this area from sinking further and the officials, who visited us have assured of the same. We hope that the problem will be solved now.”