15/08/2022
Message of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Sikkim, Shri P. S. Tamang on the 76th Independence Day, 2022
My fellow citizens,
On the auspicious occasion of the 76th Independence Day of our great Nation, I extend my heartiest felicitations and warm greetings to the people of the State and the Country.
This year marks 75 years of India’s freedom from British colonial rule and has been rightly commemorated as “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” by our Hon’ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji. The aim is to celebrate 75 years of progressive India and its rich history, diverse population, magnificent culture, and great achievements.
Our Hon’ble Prime Minister has asserted that Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav means elixir of energy of independence. It means elixir of inspiration of the warriors of the freedom struggle; elixir of new ideas and pledges and nectar of Aatmanirbharta.
In line with the Government of India’s resolve to hoist the National Flag in each Household, Sikkim is motivating its citizens to hoist the National Flag from 1st August to 15th August with pride and dignity.
To commemorate “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav” and Har Ghar Tiranga, various literary competitions, cultural programmes, and patriotic songs competitions are being organized. The winners are being felicitated during the various events dedicated to Independence.
I take upon this opportunity to pay homage and deepest respects to our freedom fighters who are the epitome of patriotism; it is their dedication, endurance, and selfless sacrifice to which we owe our freedom and dignity.
I also take this opportunity to pledge to work toward making our State Aatmanirbhar.
My fellow citizens,
It is a matter of great pride that India recently elected Madam Droupadi Murmu as the 15th President of India.
She is the first woman President from the Tribal Community and being elected as the President has paved way for the daughters of our Country to dream big and aspire to become leaders of the nation.
On behalf of the Sikkimese people, I extend my heartiest congratulations to the President of India, Madam Draupadi Murmu, and the Vice President, Shri Jagdeep Dhankar Ji on their historic win.
Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav has come up with a perception that has united all the Indians in one emotion, dedication, and feeling of patriotism.
My fellow citizens,
Since Sikkim became a part of the great Indian Nation, there has been a breakthrough in development for the State and the people. Our State has seen a steady rise in the standard of living, creation of infrastructure, and development in the health, education, tourism, agriculture-horticulture and dairy sectors.
Since the formation of the new Government in the year 2019, our goal has been to further strengthen and lead the State to greater heights and to bring up our state Sikkim as an excellent and opulent State in the country.
My fellow citizens,
With this goal in mind, our government has undertaken significant measures and steps; we have pursued our dreams relentlessly even during the most difficult period of the Covid – 19 pandemic which hit very shortly after we took over the governance of the State.
Our foresight and tactful measures have enabled us to overcome major hurdles and achieve milestones on our developmental chart.
Let me take this opportunity to elaborate on the major achievements in the health sector which have been the prime area of focus of our government.
The State presently has one of the best Primary Health care infrastructures in the country. Tremendous progress has been made in the up gradation of Promotive, Preventive, Curative, and Rehabilitative Health Care for the people of Sikkim.
Sikkim is known today as one of the most progressive States in the Health Sector in India. There has been manifold improvement in infrastructures, capacity building, manpower placement, and delivery of comprehensive services through 148 sub-centres, 24 PHCs, 2 CHCs, 4 District Hospitals, and one State Multi Specialty Hospital.
Sikkim also became the first state to achieve a 100% target of vaccination of 1st dose to the eligible age group persons with minimal loss of vaccines.
We also successfully completed the 2nd dose vaccination for the same and have rolled out the Precautionary dose for all eligible persons. We are today, among the top-performing states for Covid vaccination.
Our government has established the very First Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory at STNM Hospital, Sochyagang. We have established a novel Super Specialties facility and have appointed new Super Specialists at the STNM Hospital of Sochyagang. In addition to the Super Specialties like Cardiology, Gastro Enterology, Urology, Paediatric Surgery, and Plastic Surgery, the government introduced two more super specialties, viz., Neuro Surgery and Cardio Thoracic Vascular Surgery considering the need for these specialist services in the State.
Further, our government has appointed 2 Neurosurgeons and 1 Interventional Cardiologist in addition to the 5 Super Specialists available at the New STNM Hospital.
Consequently, many of the patients who were earlier referred outside the State for treatment have now got the convenience of being treated within the State itself. More importantly, these Super Speciality services have also been extended to the District Hospitals through the periodical visits carried out by these super specialists.
2 Oxygen Plants at the New STNM Hospital, Sochakgang, one with a 1000 LPM and the other with a 500 LPM capacity have also been set up. Similarly, the government has also established a 1000 LPM Plant at Mangan District Hospital, a 1000 LPM Plant at Namchi District Hospital, a 200 LPM Plant at Gyalshing District Hospital, and a 200 LPM Plant at Singtam District Hospital. By setting up these Oxygen Plants, the need for medical oxygen in these Health Facilities has been completely fulfilled.
These Oxygen Plants were instrumental in saving lives during the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic while the rest of the country and world were losing lives from oxygen deficiency.
Furthermore, the New STNM Hospital has also been facilitated with a New 50 Bedded Infectious Disease TB Hospital.
Earlier, there were a large number of patients suffering from kidney failure being referred outside the State for Hemodialysis due to the limited number of Hemodialysis beds available. Our government has hence increased the bed strength for Hemodialysis from 5 to 17 at one go for the convenience of the patients.
Further, a 7-bedded new Hemodialysis Centre has been established at Namchi and a 5-bedded Hemodialysis Centre has been established at Gyalshing District Hospitals.
Our patients no longer need to commute for long hours for dialysis anymore. Our government has also upgraded 56 PHSCs to Health and Wellness Centers.
Sikkim has a high prevalence of Cancer and usually, the patients were being referred for treatment at Cancer Hospitals located outside the State. Considering the enormous cost involved in the treatment of Cancer and also the inconveniences faced by the public, the Government established the first Tertiary Cancer Care Centre in Sikkim with modern equipment on 2nd May 2020. So far, more than 300 patients have been treated in the Radiation Ward and 4,750 patients have been treated in the Chemo Ward. This Centre has come as a boon to the Cancer patients of Sikkim.
Additionally, the government has also set up the functionalized X-rays at various PHSCs and established a 60-bedded Covid Care Unit at Jorethang along with other measures cited earlier; established Trauma Care Unit - Level II at STNM Hospital. Similarly, Trauma Care Units - Level III have been set up at District Hospitals of Singtam, Namchi, and Mangan. New Urban Primary Health Centres have been set up at the Old STNM Complex and Ranipool, while, a 10-bedded ICU and a 50-bedded TB Hospital have been established at District Hospital, Gyalshing. Moreover, new Blood Banks at District Hospitals of Singtam, Gyalshing, and Mangan have been set up.
In addition, other facilities including refrigerators also have been provided to the health centres.
1. Medicine and consumable items budget enhanced from Rs. 13.41 crore to Rs. 40 crores and granted additional grants of Rs. 40 lakhs for mitigating fuel expenditure of the ambulance.
2. Health insurance scheme under Ayushman Bharat has been extended to 31,552 for poor and needy people of Sikkim.
3. Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Sahayog Yojana launched for the poor and needy people through Chief Minister’s Relief Fund which provides the benefit of cashless treatment up to Rs. 2 lakhs at Central Referral Hospital, Tadong.
4. Tele-Consultation was rolled out on 1st February 2022 for the convenience of the patients of inaccessible areas.
5. New Blood Banks at District Hospitals of Singtam, Gyalshing, and Mangan have been set up.
6. Trauma Care Unit - Level II has been established at STNM Hospital.
7. Trauma Care Units - Level III have been set up at District Hospitals of Singtam, Namchi, and Mangan.
8. New Urban Primary Health Centres have been set up at the Old STNM Complex and Ranipool.
9. A 10-bedded ICU and a 50-bedded TB Hospital have been established at District Hospital, Gyalshing.
In addition to these, many other projects are being undertaken to further boost the health sector:
a. A new 70-bedded District Hospital with modern facilities is on the verge of completion at Mangan.
b. A new 300-bedded District Hospital with modern facilities is being constructed at Namchi.
c. Construction of a new 300-bedded District Hospital with modern facilities is being constructed at Singtam.
d. 100 Bedded new District Hospital with modern facilities is being constructed at Soreng.
e. New PHC Building is being constructed at various places including Tashiding. Samsing Gelling, Khecheoperi, Melli Aching, Saku, and many others.
My fellow citizens,
Sikkim is one of the most literate states in India with a current estimated literacy rate of more than 90% and a Gross Enrolment Ratio as of 2019-20 of 75.8% in higher education, which is the highest in the Country. The government has made great strides in providing access to quality education encompassing all sections of society across the state.
The cornerstone of our policy is the child-centric approach to learning.
We also remain committed to the implementation of the New Education Policy 2020 in letter and spirit. We have taken conscious policy decisions to comprehensively operationalize the NEP into interdependent sub-sectors viz., School Education and Higher Education. For us, every education-related project is our flagship programme. Over the years, the State has made great strides in providing access to quality education encompassing all sections of society across the State.
After having overcome the first challenge of physical barrier to access, efforts are now focused more on inclusion and community participation as tools to facilitate accessibility.
The School Management Committees are being regularly trained to effectively participate in quality improvements. Parent awareness drives through the SMCs are being undertaken. The State has been a pioneer in introducing Pre-primary education into the regular school system. Every Government school in the state runs a pre-primary section.
The process of co-locating Anganwadi Centres with the Schools is being undertaken and so far, many Anganwadi centres have been co-located on the nearby school’s premises. The survey is being conducted to relocate the residual centres. The State is at the forefront concerning ECCE with more than 40% of children in the eligible age group receiving formal nursery education. In addition to this, Vidhya Pravesh modules are being adapted and contextualized under the aegis of SCERT for implementation from the next academic session.
Recognizing that the teacher is the transformer, we have completely done away with the concept of Ad-hoc teachers and streamlined the appointment of regular teachers based on NCTE norms thereby ensuring the availability of teachers in all the schools in the State.
Probationary teachers have been recruited under this Teachers Regularization Policy which has been framed and implemented by the Government as per the NCTE norms.
Under the Aspirational District programme, West District had undertaken a pilot project of monitoring educational administration using IT tools.
The Education Monitoring and Management Information System (EMMIS) developed for the West District will now be adopted for the entire State.
This online data capturing module is designed to capture school information infrastructure, and employee and student information.
Steps are being taken to address the issue of drop-out through various means. Curriculum for Out of School Children for classes I-VIII has been prepared and is being published for circulation. For the Secondary level, 6 months Certificate courses are being conducted. Students are encouraged to continue their studies through NIOS/Board of Open Schooling and Skill Education.
Our government has initiated the “Bahini” Scheme whereby the sanitary needs of the girl student will be taken care of through the provision of Sanitary Napkin vending machines and Incinerators in all the Secondary and Senior Secondary Schools.
We have seen an increase in the enrolment of girl students in higher education and have made provisions for girls’ hostels and adequate residential facilities for girl students in all higher education institutions. The participation of the private sector with the EoDB approach has brought international students to the State. At present students from Nepal, and Bhutan is also studying in the State.
Online education and open distance learning are the need of the hour.
Hence, efforts are on to extend high bandwidth internet facilities on all college campuses. All UG and PG courses will offer 20-40 % courses through MOOCs and SWAYAM platforms. Higher education faculties are encouraged to produce courses for open and distance programmes.
Our government has set up the Sikkim Higher Education Commission (SHEC) mainly to implement various goals of the New Education Policy.
The Commission comprises eminent academics and educationists as members which will draw the education policy in the State of Sikkim.
Government is also establishing the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University of Excellence (NSBUoE) at Chakung which will upgrade the current Sikkim Government Science College into a world-class multidisciplinary research centre.
The courses offered will make students ready to deal with the challenges of Climate Change, and disruptions caused by technology, and develop inner resilience to deal with challenging social, and economic conditions.
Furthermore, the Sikkim Government B.Ed. College, Soreng, is being converted into a multidisciplinary institution offering Integrated Teacher Education Course.
In another major achievement of the new government, Sikkim Manipal University will now provide additional 50 free seats for Sikkimese students pursuing M.B.B.S. Additional 30 seats are reserved for Sikkimese students on a paid basis.
In addition to these, our government has also made the following achievements in its bid to turn Sikkim into the education hub of the Country:
1. Nar Bahadur Bhandari Fellowship Scheme to pursue higher study abroad under the patronage of the Sikkim Government.
2. Apatan Fellowship scheme to pursue a Ph.D. in Hindi and vernacular languages of Sikkim.
3. The one of its kind, the Chief Minister’s Internship Scheme has been recently launched. 100 fresh College/University Graduates will be attached to various departments/PSUs under the scheme.
4. PG courses launched in Gangtok, Namchi, and Gyalshing Government colleges.
5. Regularisation of Probationary teachers.
6. Phase II of Construction work for the Government Degree College at Yangthang is being undertaken.
7. Sikkim State University is being established at Temi Tarku, South Sikkim where 18 acres of land has been allocated for the construction of Khangchendzonga State University. The foundation stone of the University was laid by the Hon’ble Vice President of India.
8.Construction of Government Colleges at Gyalshing and Mangshila.
9. Sikkim International University has been established at Sreebadam, West Sikkim.
10. The Medhavi Skills University, Sikkim is being established at Bermiok, West Sikkim.
11. Sikkim Alpine University is being established at Kamrang, South Sikkim.
12. Capital University at Zoom, Soreng.
13. Skill University at Namthang-Rateypani.
14. Mahatma Gandhi University at Daramdin.
15. Sikkim Professional University campus inaugurated at Budang, West Sikkim.
16. 100 acres of land provided for NIT Sikkim campus at Khamdong, East Sikkim.
17. Distribution of laptops to 30,678 students of government schools and colleges.
18. All 124 Sanskrit teachers have been reappointed. To revive the ancient rich educational-cultural heritage, we have initiated Gurukul in our state teaching Sanskrit, inclusive of various other subjects.
19. Sikkim became the first state in the country to launch the Rural Management Curriculum for Bachelor's & Master's Degree in collaboration with MGNCRE under the HRD Government of India.
20. Scholarship under Chief Ministers Civil Service Coaching Scheme for coaching of 50 IAS aspirants.
21. Four model residential schools, established in each district, namely:
- Chota Samdong Senior Secondary School, Soreng
- Namthang Senior Secondary School, Namchi
- Heegyathang Senior Secondary School, Dzongu
- West Point Senior Secondary School, Gangtok
22. Vehicles have been provided to the Principals of the Schools located at the remotest areas of the state.
23. The government has also initiated the Aama scheme through which we will provide annual financial assistance to the deserving mothers.
24. We have also introduced a scheme known as Vatsalya through which IVF facility will be provided to those individuals who are in dire need.
My fellow citizens,
Our government has made it its utmost priority to increase the participation of the people in farming and other allied activities to bring about an increase in the production of vegetables, fruits,
and other products. Under my government’s “Mukhya Mantri Krishi Atmanirbhar Yojana”, cash incentive is provided to the farmers for the production of 13 crops as follows- Cardamom Rs. 100/-, Ginger Rs. 20/-, Turmeric Rs. 10/-, Buckwheat Rs.10/-, Orange Rs.20/- Cabbage Rs.5/-, Cauliflower Rs. 7/- 8 Green Peas Rs 8/-, Carrot Rs. 7/- Cherry Pepper Rs. 20/- Rs. Radish Rs. 7/- Kiwi Rs.25/- Varieties of Pulses Rs. 25/- each.
Moreover, the Government of Sikkim and IFFCO have come together and formed a Joint Venture Company, “Sikkim-IFFCO Organics Ltd” (SIOL). The main objective is to improve the income of farmers of the State by introducing scientific agriculture services and improving post-harvest technology and imparting value addition to the agricultural produce of the State. The Joint Venture will also work to market the organic agricultural products in the domestic and international markets. The company is establishing a complete organic value chain system, which shall include an integrated processing unit for ginger and turmeric, a large cardamom processing unit, a buckwheat processing unit, a de-hydrated vegetable unit,
organic honey processing and packaging unit, and a manufacturing of bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, limestone-based seaweed granules, and several other projects. Four commodities have been identified, viz., ginger, turmeric, large cardamom, and buckwheat for processing to tap the export opportunities in raw and processed form. The processing facility will be a state-of-the-art facility that will strictly adhere to organic guidelines for processing, transportation, storage, and marketing. The focus commodities for processing will be sourced from the clusters in all the districts of the State. The procurement will be made directly from the farmers through the Farmers Producers Organization (FPOs) at the right price. Branding of the products will be done to ensure high market share and sustainable profits. Branding will be done through distinctive packaging, logo, and positioning statement. It will bear the positioning statement, “Organic product from the Sikkim Himalayas”.
The Government has also introduced, a “Milk production incentive scheme” in which Rs 8/- per litre is given to milk producers selling their milk to the Sikkim Milk Union.
There has been a substantial increase in milk production from 25,000- 30,000 liters per day to 56,000 liters per day.
Similarly, under the “Piggery production incentive scheme (PPIS)” Rs 5000/- is provided per pig for a maximum of three breeding stock as and when the registered pigs grow up to 50 kgs weight.
We have further observed that in our initiative of a 100 percent organic state, livestock management initiatives are important. Our government is distributing milching cows to supplement the income of farmers, pig breeding farms are providing exotic varieties of pigs to farmers and other weaker sections, an organic livestock feed production unit has already been operational in Melli, and animal health services are being provided even in remote areas through mobile veterinary clinics in all districts and regulatory framework has been fine-tuned so that the dairy products conform to their prescribed standards. New interventions on animal health, herd composition, feed and fodders, a technological improvement in artificial insemination, embryo transfer,
and cross-breeding, and also on foot and oral vaccinations have been considered and supported by our government.
Meanwhile, to increase the production of fish in the State and to provide economic upliftment and sustainable livelihood to the fish farmers, my government has the launched Mukhya Mantri Matsya Utpadan Yojana (MMMUY) on October 21. The scheme targets both the existing fish farmers and fishermen who are provided a subsidy of up to 60% in the purchase of fish seeds for stocking their ponds and a subsidy of up to 60% will be given to fishermen in the purchase of fishing equipment like castanet, rods, and line, weighing machine and fish transportation box.
My fellow citizens,
Another area of focus of the government has been ensuring that our citizens have access to all necessities and we are a kutcha house-free state. Our government has completed the construction of 3050 houses for the rural populace under the Sikkim Garib Awas Yojana in record time.
For the urban populace, the construction work for 502 houses in 7 Municipal Areas namely, Gangtok Municipal Corporation, Nagar Panchayats of Nayabazar Jorethang, Gyalshing, Mangan, Rangpo, Singtam, and Namchi Municipal Council with each house costing Rs. 19.37 Lakhs is also underway. Similarly, 260 units of Social Housing Flats (SHF) units in Gangtok, Nayabazaar-Jorethang, and Gyalshing at the cost of Rs.22 lakhs each are being built. Construction of a Shelter home for 40 beneficiaries under the Shelter for Houseless Households (SHH) is also being undertaken by my government.
My fellow citizens,
Nature has bestowed Sikkim a matchless natural splendor with its lush green forest, virgin hills and valleys, snow-capped mountains, varied climatic zones, abundant flora & fauna, and eco-friendly environment which makes Sikkim a specific place of tourist interest. The hospitable people, rich cultural heritage, and insurgent-free atmosphere are the other key elements in making Sikkim a haven for tourists. Tourism is recognized as the most reliable and ‘high growth sector’ to foster sustainable development of the State. More so, tourism accounts for vast employment generation to redress the problems associated with unemployment which is a subject of concern in the State in the present-day context. The proactive vision of our government is to tap the enormous tourism potential to ensure larger socio-economic objectives and bring about all-around development through a well-executed tourism policy. The objective is also to lay greater emphasis on inclusive growth through people’s participation and convergence. The priorities are being focused to promote landmark tourism products having a high selling proposition to offer a world-class experience for the tourists and to propel Sikkim ahead of other competing destinations including Nepal and Bhutan.
The placement of proper infrastructure is the backbone for the development of any economy and tourism. The government, over the past 3 years, has taken the most proactive decision in the creation of numerous innovative tourism infrastructures at the places of tourist interest and also by the release of requisite funds for those projects approved which were laying at standstill due to non-allocation of resources earlier. The aim is to harness the vast untapped Rural Tourism potential of Sikkim as community-based tourism.
Sikkim has also received the highest appreciation of the State’s authentic organic cuisine presented by the Institute of Hotel Management at the food fest organized in various parts of the nation in 2022.
Sikkim has ranked at 1st position amongst all the State/ UTs for implementation of the Swadesh Darshan Scheme as per the performance evaluated by the Ministry of Tourism in March 2020.
Sikkim is also the recipient of the prestigious award of Most Proactive State under the Regional Connectivity Scheme in April 2022 given out by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and FICCI. The State has adopted best practices in tourism infrastructure building, the inaction of tourism-friendly policies, and making Sikkim the safest and most sought-after hill destination.
In terms of infrastructure building, the government has sanctioned numerous theme-based projects which are ongoing and some are at the completion stage. Some of the major projects being undertaken are:
i. Eco-tourism Pilgrimage Complex at Dodak in West Sikkim,
ii. Ropeway from Pelling to Sangacholing in West
iii. Herbal & spiritual healing complex at Nandugaon, South Sikkim,
iv. Construction of 16th Karmapa Park at Sang in East Sikkim,
v. Construction of Magarzong at Mangsari in West Sikkim,
vi. Passenger Ropeway from Dhapar to Bhaleydhunga,
vii. 1000 Mega Home Stay in Sikkim (1st Phase),
viii. Astha Chriranjivi religious complex at Namthang, South Sikkim,
ix. Statue of Goddess Nishani Kali at Central Pendam, East Sikkim, etc.
x. Construction of Rholu Mandir and Legship Trikaleshwar Mandir.
xi. Construction of Rabindranath Tagore Park and Monastery at Meghidara, Rinchenpong.
Moreover, to bring in more investors in the field of tourism as well as the industrial sector, the government is also organizing the “Sikkim Global Investment Confluence and Visit Sikkim 2022” in the months of November – December 2022.
My fellow citizens,
Sikkim has been awarded the ‘Most Film Friendly State’ at the 67th National Film Awards in October 2021. This has been made possible owing to a major policy decision taken by our government in the year 2020 wherein we have put in place the Film Policy through which subsidies shall be provided to filmmakers who produce films/ movies within the State. There will be continued efforts made by the government to turn Sikkim into an excellent “Film Destination” of the State.
My fellow citizens,
In the power sector, our government has been working relentlessly to provide 24x7 quality and reliable power to both urban and rural areas at par.
As of March 2022, the total installed capacity of hydropower in the State is 2318.20 MW. Within a short period, the installed hydropower capacity has increased, and the government is actively pursuing the off-take of all IPP projects stalled due to various issues.
Further, to invigorate the generation sector and contribute to the national green energy initiatives, our government’s mission is to restart the other stalled projects too.
These initiatives will not only bring much-needed private sector investments to the State but also generate employment and revenue in terms of free power. In tune with this power sector-friendly policy, the process has already been initiated to restart the stalled work of 300 MW Panan HEP.
The new government has initiated a major step towards revival and giving a lease of life to old generating stations. These projects were either remaining idle for several years or operating with very poor Plant Load Factor (PLF) for want of operation and maintenance funds. These initiatives will also help to fulfill the mandated mix of renewable energy within the State’s energy consumption, under Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) regulation. As a result, the long-closed Meyongchu HEP (4 MW) has started generating full capacity while similarly long-stalled LLHP(12 MW) and Kalez Khola HEP (2 MW) are ready for recommissioning.
Furthermore, our government is continuously planning and adding more transmission infrastructure backbone to match with future domestic and industrial load trajectory. A comprehensive scheme for strengthening transmission and distribution systems as well as providing a power evacuation corridor for upcoming IPP Hydro Power projects is under ex*****on. With the proactive and pro-people policy of our government, most of the land and Right of Way (ROW) issues have been resolved. Completion of the scheme will ensure a stable transmission network thereby helping in ensuring 24 x 7, quality and stable power to the consumers.
My fellow citizens,
Sikkim has produced many acclaimed sportspersons who have made us proud in both the national and international arena. The government aspires to encourage and hone more such talent and has created state-of-the-art infrastructure to facilitate this.
Bhaichung Stadium, Namchi has been completed and inaugurated on October 2021. The government has announced the creation of a world-class Archery training facility to be named after Shri Tarun Deep Rai the Olympian Archer from Sikkim. The land for the same has been identified at Kitchudumra in South Sikkim.
The government has also sanctioned the upgradation of 55 playgrounds in various schools in 2020 and the project is 90% complete.
The government has also instituted awards for promising and budding sportspersons of the State which will be given on Independence Day every year.
Similarly, awards have been announced to the best Nagar Panchayats, Nagar Parishads, and Nagar Nigam @ 10 Lakhs, 07 Lakhs, and 05 Lakhs to the first second, and third position holders respectively, and Gram Panchayats @ 05 Lakh, 03 Lakh and 02 Lakh to the first second, and third position holders respectively.
In the recent meeting of NITI Aayog, I submitted our request before the Central Government to set up a gene conservation centre and a seed bank in Sikkim making seed preservation safer for the farmers in Sikkim.
Our government plans to transform organic farming into a multimodal agriculture heritage which would act as an instrument of
i) food security,
ii) rural development,
iii) rural tourism,
iv) climate change resilience and
v) national and global replication initiative.
The building of a Multimodal Corridor with a modern integrated check post between the State of Sikkim and Eastern Nepal through Chewa Bhanjyang has emerged as a crucial point of cultural, economic, social, tourism, and ecological exchanges. I hope, it would pave the way for Indian pilgrims to visit the famous religious centres like Pathivara in Nepal and various historic temples and monasteries on the Sikkimese side too.
In this context, I have requested the central government to declare the Chewa Bhanjyang Multimodal Corridor as a project of national importance that will be fully planned, designed, funded, built, and operated by the Union Government of India with the hope that Sikkim will tremendously gain from the prestigious transborder corridor.
In collaboration with the Government of Jammu & Kashmir, we have initiated Keshar (Saffron) farming in Sikkim which would be beneficial to our farmers.
Giving honour to the driving fraternity, the government has changed the title ‘Guruji’ to “Sarathi”. The formation of the Sarathi welfare Board covering all the districts will pave a way for various developmental activities for the welfare of the Sarathi Fraternity in the state.
My fellow citizens,
To facilitate smooth governance and overall strengthening of administration,
we have also successfully formed two new Districts – Soreng and Pakyong. The government aspires to explore every avenue and take every step necessary to make the governance and administration of the State Machinery both transparent and easily accessible to all.
My fellow citizens,
I have briefly elaborated on the work done by the new government towards the state as envisaged by me and the people. We have been fortunate to have many of our visions turned into reality and are hopeful that the pending issues will be soon addressed and the final developmental blueprint will also see the light of day at the earliest.
Today, I urge the Sikkimese populace to come forward and join us in our pursuit to turn Sikkim into the number one state of the Nation and the world. If we persevere, no dream is impossible.
JAI HIND! JAI SIKKIM!
