Process begins to relocate earthquake ravaged Bey to Chandey

MLA HANDS OVER PLOTS AND CONSTRUCTION ALLOTMENT ORDERS TO 21 DISPLACED FAMILIES
WANGCHUK BHUTIA
MANGAN, 27 Aug: Almost a year since the 18 September earthquake destroyed the villages of Bey and Mantam in Upper Dzongu, the process has begun for villagers from the two villages to relocate to Chandey in Mangan, some 26-27 km away from their original village.
A total of 21 displaced families [9 from Bey and 12 from Mantam] were handed over home construction plots and allotment orders under the Reconstruction of Earthquake Damaged Rural Houses [REDRH] Project at a function held at Chandey yesterday.
Their area MLA, Power Minister Sonam Gyatso Lepcha, handed over the documents to the beneficiaries and also laid the foundation stone for a house construction for these families, eachof whom will receive a one-slab RCC structure under REDRH.
It may be mentioned here that Bey had been badly hit by last year’s earthquake, when a landslide triggered by the temblor had wiped out all 9 houses in the village. Seven people had been killed in the mishap. Around 120 villagers were evacuated from the village the next day and shifted to Lingzya in Upper Dzongu where they have been staying till now.
Speaking at the function, Minister Sonam Gyatso appealed to all government officials and panchayat members to take up the project in earnest and ensure quality work and further added that the displaced families had been given priority in the first phase of REDRH implementation in the district.
Likewise, the DDO North, Chewang Gyatso Bhutia highlighted that the construction will be completed in phases in order to ensure good quality work with 10 houses being taken up initially.  He urged the beneficiaries to also involve themselves in ensuring the quality as well as quantity of the work and further added that Sikkim was the only state where people have been provided with such facilities.
Later, while speaking to NOW!, the Minister informed that the constructions will be completed within eight months as informed by the technical experts and engineers.  He further added that land under the UDHD has been provided for the resettlement of these families at Chandey.
Meanwhile, on the progress of CMRHM in Dzongu, he informed that there is good progress in 10 GPUs out of 11 in Dzongu with only Sakyong-Pentong GPU lagging behind owing to problems in road connectivity.  Similarly, on the status of two schools - Pentong Primary School and Lingzya School which had collapsed during the earthquake, the Minister stated that Rs. 90 lakh has been sanctioned for the reconstruction of Pentong School which will start as soon as road connectivity of Lingzya-Bey is restored.  He further informed that other remaining restoration works were in progress under the respective departments.
“I’m very happy and satisfied as I have been compensated for the loss of my property,” said Rikden Lepcha, one of the displaced Bey residents while speaking to NOW! after receiving the home construction plot and site allotment order. He also expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister and area MLA for the resettlement and construction project.