SIKKIM OBSERVER    Sept 15, 2012

Jigme N Kazi’s blog: jigmenkazisikkim.blogspot.com

Work for welfare of people, Chamling tells officials

Committee to look into State cadre restructuring

Gangtok, Sept 14: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said the State Government will soon constitute a committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary of the State to restructure the cadre of various services of the State at par with the State Civil Service.

The committee is expected to submit its report to the government within three months, an IPR release said.

This decision comes in the wake of widespread dissatisfaction following the government’s recent decision to promote 150 officials. While those who were promoted were happy and grateful to the Chief Minister a large section of employees have been adversely affected by the promotions.

Addressing a meeting of officials of the State Government here at Manan Kendra yesterday, the Chief Minister said his government always kept the interest of the government employees in mind and urged them to work for the welfare of the people.

Chamling also talked about the administrative weakness in the government like poor monitoring in the system leading to poor quality of execution which is creating great loss to the government as well as to the people for whom the schemes of the government are being implemented, the release said.

The Chief Minister expressed his dissatisfaction over the inordinate delay in the pace of progress in the implementation various projects sanctioned after the September 18, 2011 earthquake and asked the officers to be very proactive in implementation of such projects in the interest of the State.

He urged the officers to frequently visit the villages so that they are well acquainted with the problems faced by the people of the villages.

He also asked the officers to be in the office during the office hours so that the people find the officers and staff in the office when they come for their work. He asked the officers to fix a day for the meetings amongst the officers and staff after 2 pm, preferably on Thursday and Friday.

Plea to Guv for strong Lokayukta Bill

BJP for CBI to probe graft charges in Sikkim

Gangtok, Sept 14: Governor BP Singh has been urged to look into the alleged anomalies in the Sikkim Lokayukta (Amendment) Bill 2012, which allegedly seeks to give undue weightage to the Chief Minister in the selection of the Lokayukta, an anti-corruption authority constituted at the State level to investigate allegations of corruption and mal-administration.

In their memorandum submitted to the Governor today, the BJP and Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party have alleged that the Bill, passed in the Assembly recently, defeats the “very purpose of taking action against corrupt elements” in the State.

It said Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who is facing corruption charges, should not be allowed to nominate the Lokayukta.

According to the memorandum, in the original Sikkim Lokayukta Act of 2010 the Governor is chiefly responsible for appointing the Lokayukta after consulting the Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim, the Speaker of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly and the Leader of the Opposition of State Legislature.

However, under the present amendment the Lokayukta is appointed by the Governor on the basis of recommendation of a Selection Committee headed by the Chief Minister as Chairperson and consisting of the Chief Justice of the High Court of Sikkim, Speaker of Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Leader of the Opposition of State Legislative and an eminent person nominated by the Cabinet.

The Bill also states that recommendation of the Selection Committee will be based on the decision of the majority of the members present in the Selection Committee meeting.

“We will not allow this kind of Lokayukta to investigate corruption cases against Pawan Kumar Chamling and his Cabinet Colleagues,” a press release of the two parties said. It added, “The Central Bureau of Investigation is the best investigative agency to investigate the charges.”

Scarcity of eggs, chicken in market

Gangtok, Sept 14: Table eggs and broiled chicken have now become rare commodities in Sikkim. After the recent ‘ban’ on sale of eggs and broiled chicken supplied from outside the State consumers in the landlocked Himalayan State have been forced to limit consumption of these items due to their non-availability and high cost.

White eggs are almost totally off the market now. The little amount of egg sales that you see in the market in the capital are ‘red eggs’. They are not only too costly but not readily available in the market. The ‘white eggs’, brought from outside the State, mainly from Siliguri, used to cost only Rs 5 per egg and Rs. 120 to Rs 130 per tray, which has 30 pieces. The ‘red eggs’, supplied from local poultry farms, cost Rs 10 per egg and per tray (30 pieces) it is around Rs 230-240.

“We have not been permitted to sell white eggs,” said a retailer in Lal Bazar. Another shopkeeper added, “Every now and then police personnel come to check our shops to see if we are selling white eggs.” He said sale of white eggs procured from Siliguri were banned recently.

Shopkeepers also revealed that due to high cost not many are buying red eggs even though their quality is better.

Sale of broiled chickens supplied from Siliguri has also been stopped in the State recently, according to chicken sellers in Lal Bazar. Sources said sale of broiled chicken supplied from Siliguri was banned about two years back to ensure that bird flu did not spread to the State. The ban is yet to be lifted officially, it is learnt.

Several Muslim family members in Lal Bazaar, who have been doing chicken business in the State since the 1950s, say most people prefer to buy chickens procured from Siliguri as it is cheap and costs only Rs 90/- to Rs 110/- per kg.

Grandson of late Mohammad Aliya, who once worked for the Chogyal, said, “At least 20 to 25 families of our community live in Gangtok and have been in the chicken business for over fifty years.” He pointed out that their shops at Lal Bazaar sell only local chickens presently supplied from Melli in south district.

They buy the chicken at Rs 90 per kg and sell at around Rs 130-140 per kg. Like sale of local eggs sale of locally supplied chickens is also poor. “We sell only about 12-15 pieces daily,” Aliya’s grandson said.

The ‘ban’ on sale of eggs and chickens supplied from outside the State has also affected hotels and restaurants. The prices of capital’s most-sought-after egg and chicken rolls counter at Chicken Roll House at Star Hall complex at MG Marg have shot up.

Eggs rolls, which used to cost Rs 25 per piece recently, has shot up to Rs 30 per piece. Prices of other egg-chicken related rolls have also increased.

Chief Secy tells secretaries to implement schemes

Gangtok, Sept 14: While addressing a coordination meeting of heads of departments here on Wednesday, Chief Secretary Karma Gyatso outlined the importance of the series of meetings Chief Minister Pawan Chamling is holding with government employees this week.

He said the Chief Minister will address several meetings this week which will be attended by most government employees, including heads of departments, accountants, junior engineers, LDCs and muster rolls.

These meetings are aimed at making the departments play a more “proactive role in the implementation” of the various programmes and policies of the government.

While dealing with legal matters, the Chief Secretary directed the secretaries to personally attend the legal matters of the department and to keep the Chief Secretary’s office informed accordingly. Besides, the legal matters should also be incorporated in the monthly departmental coordination meeting as well, he said.

Sikkimese youths to seek ‘change in governance’ in Sikkim

Gangtok, Sept 14: The All Sikkim Educated Self Employed & Unemployed has decided to hold a series of meetings with various political and social organizations on issues ranging from illegal appointment, irregular service extension, Sikkim Subject/COI, 371 F, law and order and violation of fundamental rights.

After this the Association will take the issues to the people and seek “change” in the political set-up in the State. This was decided during a general body meeting of the Association held here on Sunday. The meeting was conducted under the chairmanship of Chief Advisor PM Subba and was attended by its Patron Tseten Tashi Bhutia.

Youths from all over the State attended the meeting to discuss the burning issue of illegal appointment, irregular service extension, Sikkim Subject/COI, 371 F, law and order issue, violation of fundamental rights and democracy.

The Association said it has been approaching the government for a long time on the above issues but the response is negative.

Due to this, “the association has decided to widely and openly approach the citizens of the State for a change in governance,” Association President Nawin Kiran Pradhan said.

The Association has appealed to the people to “actively participate” in securing justice to the Sikkimese people.

Editorial

THEORY & PRACTICE

Chamling’s Sermons Continue

Government servants, particularly in Sikkim, are a pampered lot. Almost the whole of the budget – plan and non-plan - is spent on or by the 40,000 odd employees of the State Government. And yet they are a dissatisfied lot. The rest of the 5,60,000 residents of the State have to be content with almost nothing and yet our politicians continue to talk about a ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people.’ With whatever motivation it has the State Government recently chose to promote at least 150 officials. The Sikkim Legislative Assembly met this week and passed several bills which basically catered the upkeep of our legislators. We now hear that many VIPs are being given new vehicles when the old ones are still in good condition. Just who is paying for all these? Isn’t it the people who are made to shell out for the salaries and perks that the employees and other public servants enjoy?

After his prolonged talks with students Chief Minister Pawan Chamling is now meeting government employees and telling them that they need to pull up their socks to give a better image of his ‘pro-people government’.  Chamling is telling the employees that many schemes of the government are not being properly implemented and as a result the people are made to suffer. By now the people, by and large, are aware of what Chamling says and what the outcome is and because of this the administration is not only inefficient but directionless. Even during his first two terms in office the Chief Minister constantly complained of lacking the right team in the Cabinet and an unresponsive administration. He ought to know by now that mere sermons will not do to win the next Assembly elections, particularly when his former colleague and dissident ruling party legislator PS Tamang is going all over Sikkim and telling the people how Chamling & Co has messed up everything. The only sure way of getting some kind of sympathy and support is to practise what you preach, Mr. Chamling. This may be hard but it is the only alternative left for someone who may now be realizing that people have really lost confidence on the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front’s promises to “change the system of governance.”

SFA mourns footballer’s death

Gangtok, Sept 14: The Sikkim Football Association (SFA) held a condolence meeting here yesterday to mourn the sad and untimely demise of a football player of Namthang Football Academy Tsheten Andro Lepcha in a road accident at Namthang on Wednesday.

Lepcha was 15 years old and was a part of the Namthang Football Academy's football team which was to leave for Chennai this week to play in a football tournament.

The SFA described Lepcha as a “budding young footballer.” The meeting observed 2 minute silence as the mark of respect for the departed soul.

DARJEELING People & Places

Peaceful Retreats in the Hills of Darjeeling and Sikkim

  By CAROLYN O'DONNELL

The Chogyal and Gyalmo of Sikkim

Thanks to a friend who was related to Queen Elizabeth's cousin, I spent a weekend at one of the grand stately homes of England. It was a glimpse into a vanished age as I discovered rooms that had not been used in decades.

The Windamere Hotel in Darjeeling also gives the feeling of going back in time, though in a more vibrant way, to when this hill station was a vital part of the British Empire. And its royal connections are impressive too; the hotel's bar was where the last King of Sikkim met a Sarah Lawrence student named Hope Cooke who later became the Chogyal's Queen Consort.

The Chogyal was deposed by India in 1975, but the monarch's royal guesthouse is now the luxurious Elgin Nor-Khill hotel in the former Himalayan kingdom's capital of Gangtok, which just happened to be my next destination after Darjeeling.

During the British Raj (or rule) Darjeeling was known as "Queen of the Hills", a "Little England" that was the summer seat of Government in the mountains when humid Kolkata (then Calcutta) was the second city of the British Empire.

Its cooler environs were enhanced by glorious views of Mt Khangchendzonga, the highest mountain in India and third loftiest in the world, entertainments for the colonial elite, and the "eternal spring" necessary for growing sought-after Darjeeling tea.

The Windamere was a hilltop complex providing lodgings for "young English gentlemen." It became a hotel in 1939, and the decor has not changed since then. With white-gloved waiters who serve the tempting Anglo-Indian set menu in the candle-lit dining room each evening, and plenty of refreshments, including afternoon tea, it is a peaceful retreat from the bustle of the town below and a taste of Raj-era Colonial life in more ways than one.

To reach Darjeeling many fly to the local Bagdogra Airport, but I caught the night train from Kolkata to New Jaipalguri and then a "share jeep" to Darjeeling itself. Share jeeps are the cheap though not necessarily fast way to get around these parts. You can't argue about the price -- usually $4 or less -- but often jeeps are packed with 12-14 small Asian people. Westerners built on a larger scale may prefer to buy two seats; inquire through your hotel or at each town's jeep stand. Alternatively, reserve your own jeep or hire a driver.

The other way to ascend the hills is on the Unesco-listed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, also known as the "toy train." Revered by rail enthusiasts, the tiny steam engine chugs slowly along the narrow tracks that have weaved between shops and traffic since 1881. It's atmospheric, but slow. An alternative is to take a short trip from Darjeeling or one of its many stations. Book ahead in high season.

Leaving Darjeeling, the share jeep to the Gangtok is delayed so it is a relief to reach the elegant Nor-Khill (which means House of Jewels). The dining room is a colorful combination of Sikkimese design and Western comfort, and the food incorporates local, Indian and Western elements. One night I sampled tongba, a "beer" made from hot water poured on fermented millet, served in a bamboo "tankard," and Sikkimese dishes included gyako soup -- noodles, cabbage, chicken balls and egg strips in a delicious broth -- along with spiced combinations of nettles, mustard leaves and bamboo shoots, all silver service of course.

Pelling in West Sikkim is renowned for its views of Mt Khangchendzongda, and a room with a view at the Elgin Mount Pandim means you can set the alarm for sunrise and watch the peak change colors without even getting dressed. Set in 8 acres of gardens, the Sikkimese Royal Family owned the building before it became a hotel. One of Sikkim's most important monasteries is a few minutes' walk away, and as it was a full moon or puja (offering) day 300-year-old Pemaygangste Gompa reverberated with monks' drumming and chanting.

The 6.30 a.m. jeep to Kalimpong forgets me, but it returns and by lunchtime I am in this bustling bazaar town, and ready for more colonial comforts at Silver Oaks, once the home of a British jute millionaire. The beautiful gardens are very relaxing after the traffic, but there are Tibetan monasteries to visit and horticulture to investigate -- the orchids at Holumba Haven, artfully placed amid two acres of terraced greenery and appealing homestay cottages, are delightful, especially in May and October.

My final stop was Cochrane Place, once home of the Magistrate of Kurseong, after which a maharajah used it as a summer palace, before the present owners took over in 1997. On a ridge 1.2 miles out of town the views are fabulous, mountains on one side and hot plains on the other. The brew of choice here is fine Darjeeling tea, though I do have another tongba. Three chefs produce Western, Indian and Chinese cuisine, while dedicated tea-blender Laltu simmers some innovative concoctions, including tea blended with local passionfruit.

You could just stop here and watch the clouds, nature and birds, but organic Makaibari Tea Estateis a short walk away and there I meet the charismatic owner Rajah Banerjee, who is a pioneer of biodynamic farming. I taste some exquisite tea, including Silver Tips Imperial, the world's most expensive brew, while hearing more about Makaibari's community projects and the estate's homestay program.

As a guest at Cochrane Place I also visited the tranquil grounds of Ambootia teas, now the largest biodynamic tea estate in the world, and sample some of the teas it exports to Europe.

Many people say the hill country is not like the rest of India. At times it is just as noisy and untidy as the rest of the country, but the views, the friendly people and the legacy of the British make this part of the world special. (The Huffington Post)