Chamgaon residents leverage CM’s visit to put RMDD on the dock

DEMAND APPROVED BY CM IN 2009 CONTINUES TO BE IGNORED BY DEPTT
NAMCHI, 25 May: The Chief Minister has explained that his 40-day Sikkim Tour [of which 6 days have been completed and which is expected to resume next week] was essentially to take stock of how the various projects sanctioned by the government for rural Sikkim have been implemented. The intent was to get a frank appraisal from the people in a one-to-one. The CM has also been clear in his disappointment with the commitment of public representatives and public servants in executing policy decisions on ground. One incident on the second day of his tour holds up why this tour was necessary and how slack commitment and even more lax follow-up has kept people denied even after projects have been sanctioned for them.
The issue in question relates to a request submitted by the people of Chamgaon to the Chief Minister during his halt at Tiffin Dara on 18 May, the second day of his village-to-village tour. The people were seeking a PMGSY road to connect Mamley Zero with Chamgaon in South Sikkim.
A petition to CM informed that their demand for this road has still not been sanctioned and called on him to recognise the urgency for it and approve the project. Sitting there amidst the people, the CM expressed shock over the demand and informed that not only had the project been sanctioned, but the Rural Management & Development Department specifically directed to commission the project. This was back in the year 2009!

When the CM shared this information, the residents, who must have been offered numerous excuses and fed many other mis-directions by the Department, got agitated and entered in to an argument with RMDD officials at the spot, demanding an explanation on why the project, even after it was approved by the CM, was not implemented and why they had been kept in the dark about the CM’s endorsement of their demand.
The embarrassing situation was somehow salvaged by the department officials on the day, but the people remain offended and continue demanding accountability on the denial imposed on them.
Interestingly, a letter to the RM&DD Secretary from the Chief Minister’s Office (PRO to CM), dated 07 September 2009, mentions that the demand was placed by the Panchayats of Poklok-Kamrang constituency during a meeting held with the CM on 31 August 2009 at Mintokgang. The RMDD was urged to prepare an estimate for the project and submit to the CM for approval within one month.
A follow-up letter was sent to the RM&DD Secretary by the CMO on 02 November 2009 where it has been mentioned that “I would like to draw your kind attention that we have forwarded Ref. letter no. 21/SB/09, dated 7/09/2009, application for an early redressal of demands placed by the panchayats of Poklok Kamrang constituency during the meeting held on 31/08/09 at Mintokgang. Till date, this office has not received any information regarding action taken from RM&DD. Therefore, I request to kindly furnish the information within 15 days for kind information of the Chief Minister”.
RMDD, it appears, ignored even this letter, and now the issue has surfaced again.
When contacted, the Superintending Engineer [South], RM&DD , said that his office never received any letter from head office on the issue.
In the meantime he mentioned that the PMGSY has its own norms and as per its rules PMGSY has its co-network and Sikkim roads under this scheme were sanctioned by the central government in 2007. AS things stand, the department cannot make new estimates under PMGSY at least for the next two years.
What has the residents of Chamgaon offended is that the Department not only ignored their “genuine” demand, but also kept the Chief Minister in the dark.