SIKKIM OBSERVER Saturday   March 9-15,  2013    

Dalai Lama on 3-day visit to Sikkim in March

     The Dalai Lama at the Pemayangtse Monastery in West Sikkim in December 2010.

Gangtok, March 8: The Dalai Lama will be visiting the State for the consecration ceremony of the Buddha Park (Tathagata Tsal) at Rabong in south Sikkim during the last week of this month.

State officials said he will be reaching Rabong on March 24, as part of his three-day tour.

The Dalai Lama will be offering the long lime empowerment after his arrival in Rabong.

The consecration ceremony will take place on March 26 morning, after which the Dalai Lama will reach the State capital to interact with students and youths here in the Mannan Kendra in the same afternoon.

A group from the Tibetan Institute of Performance Arts from Dharamsala is also coming to perform cultural items along with the troop of the state's culture department during the ceremony.

Chief Secretary R Ongmu has visited Buddha Park and inspected the area.

She also chaired a meeting regarding the preparation of the opening ceremony and the visit of the Dalai Lama in the conference hall of Buddha Park. The meeting was attended by the Chairperson of the Sakyamuni Committee and former area MLA and Minister D.D Bhutia, DGP Jashbir Singh along with heads of various departments.

 Chief Secy briefed on ASESEUA demands

Gangtok, March 8: Members of the All Sikkim Educated Self Employed & Unemployed Association (ASESEUA) met the newly-appointed Chief Secretary Rinchen Ongmu here on Tuesday and congratulated her for being appointed Chief Secretary.

Association President Nawin Pradhan said members highlighted and reiterated the demands of the Association during the meeting.

The Chief Secretary was apprised of the Association’s demands such as constitution of interlocutors committee to study the violation of 371-F, equality before law, no back door/illegal appointments, free and fair recruitment policy, action against fake COI holders, end to service extension, tapping of unnecessary expenditure, proper public site distribution policy etc.

The Association has opposed service extension of the outgoing chief secretary Karma Gyatso and reappointment of A. Dutta (ex-ADGP) as Security Advisor.

Sikkimese students, Tenacians toppers in IHM exams

Gangtok, March 8: Sikkimese students and ex-students of Tashi Namgyal Academy (TNA  - Gangtok) have performed remarkably well in the recently-held exams at Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) in Rumtek, East Sikkim.

Kunga Chukie Namgyal Kazi (TNA - Tenacian), Rajshree Chettri and Rahul Tewari ranked 1^st position in 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd year exams (first semester) respectively.

The performance of Tenacians in the 1^st year’s first semester is also noteworthy. Apart from Kunga, other TNA ex-students who did well are Kunzang Chukie (Dolly), who came 3^rd, Rajdeep Gurung (6^th), Laden Gensapa (7^th) and Sonam Deki Namgyal Kazi (11^th).

IHM Principal JT Gyaltsen said “Students from Sikkim undergoing B.Sc degree in Hospitality and Hotel Admnistration” at the IHM have “shown excellent performance.”

Gyaltsen, who seemed happy and excited on Sikkimese students doing well in the exams, is hopeful that those who performed well will find their names in the toppers list at the all-India level. “In the near future Sikkimese students will bring the Institute’s name to the limelight at national level and also get employment in India and abroad,” Gyaltsen added.

IHM, affiliated to National Council for Hotel Management under Ministry of Tourism (Govt of Indai), is among the top ten colleges in India that offers degree and diploma courses in hotel management.

Bhaichung launches fitness studio in Gangtok

Bhaichung launching Sparrc Institute in Hyderabad (file pix)

Gangtok, March 8: Former Indian football captain Bhaichung Bhutia haslaunched his first fitness studio named `BB15 Fitness` here.

Bhaichung said he would like to launch his BB15 Fitness studio in other cities in the country also.

"Fitness has always been a part of my life and with the start of BB15 Fitness Studio I want people to start taking care of their health and enjoy fitness," he said.

"I have brought state of the Art equipment’s Techno gym to give the very best to people here. I wish to bring about BB15 Fitness studio across other towns and cities in India very soon," said Bhaichung.

Sikkim courts big corporates for tourism growth

Gangtok, March 8: Tourism Secretary KS Tobgay has invited big business houses to invest in the State’s tourism infrastructure by setting up premium hotel chains and other entertainment  industries.

He assured them that the State Government will facilitate them for setting up their units in the State.

Speaking at a function on promotion of tourism in Sikkim in New Delhi yesterday, organized by Sikkim Tourism and Civil Aviation Department in New Delhi this week, Tobgay explained in details the various incentives being provided for tourism sector in Sikkim. He said the State’s peaceful atmosphere and better road connectivity held immense potential in adventure, culture and nature tourism.

The function was attended by Ninong Ering, Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs,  P.D. Rai and Hishey Lachungpa, Sikkim’s Lok Sabha  Rajya Sabha M.Ps respectively, Gudmundur Eiriksson Ambassdor of Iceland  in India  and central and State Government officials.

Representative of leading tours and travel industry, various business chambers, corporate houses and prestigious hotel chains attended the meet and showed keen interest in investment in tourism sector in Sikkim, an official release said.

Ongmu takes over as Chief Secy, thanks CM

Gangtok, March 8: Chief Secretary Rinchen Ongmu chaired her first coordination meeting with secretaries and heads of departments here on Tuesday after taking over  charge as head of the administration.

She thanked Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and the State Government for giving the opportunity of shouldering the  responsibility of the State as Chief Secretary, an official release said.

Ongmu also said that it will be a great privilege and honour for her to work with such experienced officers who are heading various departments of the state government and have contributed a lot to the development of the Sikkimese society. At the same time she also urged everyone to feel free to interact with her in their day-to-day activity and share their opinions and experiences in the interest of the State.

 “This is a learning process and I am also a part of it,” she said. 

Taking a review of the previous coordination meeting the Chief Secretary dealt about the decisions taken by the previous coordination meeting and urged the department heads to submit their action taken report on the 42 days tour of the Chief Minister to the office of the Chief Secretary.

As of now only 23 departments have submitted their report. The commitments given by the Chief Minister during the 42 days tour should be taken very seriously by heads of the departments, she added.

She also dealt in detail about the activities taken on the rehabilitation and reconstruction process of the  September 18, 2011 earthquake. Ongmu asked departmental heads to expedite the matter so that the funds allocated are used in time and proper Utilization Certificates are submitted to the government of India for the release of further funds.

60-day handloom weaving training concludes in South Sikkim

Gangtok, March 8: A 60-day handloom weaving training (20 weavers of batch) sponsored by office of the Development Commissioner (Handlooms), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, organized by Sikkim Handloom and Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. Zero Point, Gangtok at Goom - Kitam, South Sikkim was concluded on February 19, 2013.    

     The Chief Guest for the Valedictory function was Sunita Tamang, Zilla Member of 31 – Sorok – Shyampani GPU, South Sikkim. The programme was also attended by Durga Kumar Rai, Assistant Director (South), DHH and Jigme Pintso Bhutia, Assistant Director (Production) I DHH, Gangtok and all the Panchayat Members of  31 – Sorok – Shyampani GPU, South Sikkim and local gentry.

During her address the Chief Guest stressed on women empowerment, self -reliance, and income generation. Tamang urged the trainees to take full advantage of training and also thanked the department for organizing such programmes in their area.

Bhutia and Rai talked about various centrally sponsored schemes on handloom sector like Weavers Identity Card, Weavers Credit Card, Life and Health Insurance of Weavers, Yarn Pass Book, 10% subsidy on yarn purchase etc.

The weavers were awarded certificates by the Chief Guest.

Spices Board awards large cardamom growers of Sikkim, Darjeeling

Gangtok March 8: Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India organised a function for Presentation of Productivity Awards for Large Cardamom Farmers of Sikkim and Darjeeling at a local hotel here in the state capital.

 The function was graced by the Minister for Food Security and Agriculture and Horticulture and Cash Crop Department, D.N Takarpa as the chief guest.

The chief guest presented the Productivity Awards to the large cardamom farmers for the year 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 with the cash prize of  Rupees one lakhs, citation and certificate to the first prize winner and Rupees twenty five thousand each to two farmers, one of which was reserved for woman, PIB release said.

The first winner of the award for the year 2009- 2010 was Tashi Thendup Bhutia of Mangan, North Sikkim, and second was Lakpa Sherpa of Darjeeling District and Anden Bhutia of Singyang, West Sikkim.

The first prize winner of the year 2010 - 2011 was  Rukmani Rai of  North Regu, East Sikkim and second by  Dali Bahadur Chettri of Kalimpong, Darjeeling District. Similarly, the first prize winner of the year 2011 - 20012 was K.B Rai of South Regu, East Sikkim and second prize was bagged by Nimching Bhutia of Sribadam, West Sikkim.

Addressing the function Takarpa congratulate the award winner and expressed his gratitude to the Spices Board for providing such award to the farmers to encourage cardamom growers for improvement of quality production. He suggested the farmers to adopt latest technology for the production of qualitative product which could compete in the competitive market.

He also hoped for the cooperation from spices board and other agencies with the state government for providing support to farmers of the state. He also informed about the state government schemes and intensives to the farmers of the state. He also thanked for the farmers of Darjeeling District for their participation on the programme. On the occasion Takarpa also released a book, naming “Large Cardamom Package of Practices 2013”

While addressing Professor  Kalyan Dewan of Gorkhaland Territorial Admistration, Darjeeling said that the government of Sikkim has done tremendous development in agriculture which has become a guide map for GTA.

The function was also addressed by S Siddaramappa, Director Spices Board, Kochi and the Secretary, Food Security and Agriculture Development and Horticulture and Cash Crop Department Santa Kumar Pradhan.

Editorial

ONGMU’S BURDEN

Difficult Task Ahead

Being Sikkim’s first woman and perhaps the last local Sikkimese to head the State administration as Chief Secretary, Rinchen Ongmu has a tough task ahead. Her tenure may also witness far-reaching changes in the administrative and political set up in a State which has seen one-party rule in the past two decades. The declining strength of local Sikkimese civil servants in the top echelons of the State administration will surely lead to new political awareness and social changes in a society that is still not used to ‘outsiders’ taking over reins of power in the former kingdom. Ongmu is one of the very few IAS officers whose IAS tag is not a gift of the Centre; she got it on her own. Her sound family and educational background and her wide experience as a civil servant will surely be put to test as she takes over the administrative in these very difficult period.

After years and decades of being under one-man rule people are now eagerly looking towards a rejuvenated opposition led by rebel MLA PS Golay, who recently formed his own political outfit – Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) – whose main objective is to bring real change and establish true democracy and sound economic development in Sikkim. As the next Assembly polls draw nearer the 55,000 government employees in the State will surely play a leading role in who forms the next government. Therefore, the new CS, who has a good rapport with Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, will surely find her new task more challenging and difficult. She will forced to serve her political masters who will surely misuse the administrative machinery blatantly to stay in power. But if Ongmu follows the rule of law keeping the interest of the people, particularly the Sikkimese, in mind and yet keep her bosses quite happy she would have done justice to the post she holds. She, therefore, deserves our congratulations and good wishes.