Damthang declared Eco-Friendly Zone, other areas receive splurge of on-the-spot sanctions

CHIEF MINISTER’S SIKKIM ROAD-TRIP ROLLS THROUGH NAMCHI-SINGHITHANG CONSTITUENCY
PURAN TAMANG

NAMCHI, 18 May: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling started the second day of his Sikkim road-trip with prayers at religious places. The blessing sought, he led his entourage of heads of departments and ministers to a grueling tour of Namchi-Singhithang constituency, hearing out the demands and complaints of the people and conferring with officials at hand to make on-the-spot sanctions. Significant among the day’s announcements were the declaration of the Damthang areas the State’s first Eco-Friendly and Organic Belt and direction to the Additional Chief Secretary to ensure that Namchi’s water supply problems were taken up seriously and a solution expedited.
The CM started his day with a visit to Ngadak Gumpa at Upper Ghurpisey where he inspected the ongoing construction work at the historic monastery. After offering prayers here, the CM moved up to Samdruptse and offered prayers there.
He also inspected the premises and interacted with the Samdruptse Management Committee and the monks.
Below Samdruptse, he stopped at Tiffin Dara and met with the people of Tingrithang village.
Responding to the public complaints of unreliable water supply, he assured that this will be taken up seriously. The demand for a link road from Kholaghari to Tingirathang also received a positive assurance from the Chief Minister.
From here, the CM went to Jawbari, where he met the people at the Jawbari Gumpa construction site. Here also the public demanded proper drinking water supply, which the Chief Minister assured to solve soon.
While addressing the public here, he stressed that the engineers should not be pressurized by the public while they were conducting surveys for new road alignments. This, he said, had resulted in bad road conditions at many places where the survey was redesigned under public pressure and made to deviate from what sound engineering prescribed.
The CM also assured to provide financial aid to Jawbari Village Tourism Development Society.
His next stop was at Damthang Bazaar where he met the public at the Tourism Centre.
Responding to public demands, the CM sanctioned a Community Centre for Damthang and directed the Tourism Department to process the project. Regarding the allotment of sites at Damthang Bazaar, he directed the UD&HD Secretary to look into the matter while Forest Department was directed to complete the brick footpath to Tendong hill within 100 days.
The CM also directed the Forest Department to look in to the demand for additional beautification of Damthang Bazaar, while the PHE Secretary was directed to construct a water reservoir tank for Damthang to meet the drinking water requirements of the locality.
Here, the CM announced Damthang as the State’s first Eco-friendly and Organic region.
On his way to Chemchey, the CM stopped over at Diu Damthang where he sanctioned vertical extension of Damthang School, campus fencing and a play ground.
At the Chemchey HMIA&ET Centre, the CM met the public and received their grievances and demands. He directed the Minister and Secretary, Roads & Bridges, to ensure carpeting of the road leading to Chemchey from Damthang.
The public here also demanded completion of the Chemchey to Phapchey road, which, according to them, was started two years ago under PMGSY but was still incomplete. The CM directed the RM&DD Secretary to complete this road at the earliest. Here, he also directed the concerned Ministers and Secretaries to complete all pending works at Chemchey as soon as possible.
While responding to the demand for an iron-framed green-house for the beneficiaries, the CM shared his view to declare the entire Chemchey zone as a Horticulture and Floriculture Zone if the people of area were interested.
The CM also sanctioned a Community Centre for Damthang, while the students of Chemchey School demanded musical instruments, for which the CM released Rs. 50,000 on the spot.
At Tinzir village below Namchi, the CM called in the Additional Chief Secretary and all accompanying Secretaries and discussed the possibility of framing a special policy on private constructions along the roads, which, he pointed out, were damaging government property. The policy, he said, should be hold private parties accountable for any damage they cause to public property.
At Mamley School, the CM met the people and sanctioned a community water tank for the region and directed the Secretary PHED to look in to the matter. He also sanctioned a church, playground and Club House here while assuring to have the road leading to Mamley repaired and widened in due time.
At Kholaghari, the demand of improved drinking water supply was taken up on priority along with other demands which the CM assured to fulfill soon. Here, the CM went up to the Dhungela view-point and directed the Tourism Secretary to develop and promote it as a tourist spot.
The CM also met the land donors of this view point and directed the DC South to process the registration of this land.
At Sikip, he met the public at the BAC where he heard out their demands and grievances. He assured to support the local youth if they were interested in village tourism. He also directed the concerned department to make a proper road leading to the Sikip BAC along with undertaking repairs at the Sikip BAC.
His next halt was at Omchu, where he was welcomed by the students, teachers and the locals. Here he met the people at the Omchu School campus. Addressing the people, the CM invited them to share their appraisal of the government’s performance and submit their demands without any inhibitions. Informing that in this 40-day Sikkim tour was to bring the focus back on development in rural Sikkim, he admitted that he was receiving fewer demands from the people than he had expected, which he shared, could be proof of adequate development having already reached the people.
The CM assured to sanction a tourist point at Omchu on the condition that the youth of the area worked professionally to support tourism promotion. The CM directed the HRDD Secretary to also fulfill all school related demands while he sanctioned the demands for a Church, a Community Centre and play ground.
His next stop of the day was at Pakzer village where he met the public in the office of the South Sikkim Tourism Development Society, Pakzer branch. He congratulated the people for setting a good example in horticulture and agriculture sector and assured to construct two-roomed houses as home-stay facilities to support village tourism here. Here, he also sanctioned a link road from Pakzer to Mainabotey, a new school building, cultural cum museum centre, financial aid for pisciculture and a Mandir.
At Vok village, he met the people at Vok School. He explained that his primary focus for education at present was to institutionalize quality education in government schools so the demand of school upgradation of Vok Secondary School to Senior Secondary level would have wait two years. The other demands for the school were however sanctioned on the spot.
Here as well, on the demand for musical instruments, he released Rs. 25,000 for the equipment and sanctioned Rs. 50,000 to spend on the welfare of the students. Along with a monastery and temple at Vok, the CM also sanctioned a Heritage Conservation Center and Kisan Bazaar for Vok village today.
His final visit of the day was Kamrang, where he travelled down to the ITI and met the people. Here he announced to make the entire ITI a WiFi zone for free internet connectivity while the demand for better drinking water supply and road related works would be fulfilled on priority, he assured.