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SARAMSA GARDEN READIES ITSELF AS THE VENUE FOR INTERNATIONAL FLOWER FESTIVA
2007-12-30 04:02:00
Area undergoing makeover at breakneck speed to meet March 14 deadlineGANGTOK, December 29: The Saramsa Garde n , a well-known picnic spot spread on an area measuring 6 acres and located 3 kms away from Ranipool in East Sikkim is presently undergoing a complete makeover from its earlier conventional ambience to like any other modish amusement parks found in metropolitan cities.The place has been chosen as the venue to host the forthcoming International Flower Show scheduled for March 14, next year.Around 500 labourers have been working diligently from 8 am to 7 pm for the past one-month on the infrastructural development as initiated by the State Tourism Department ranging from construction of a reception center for the visitors, boundary walls measuring 8 feet in height, convention hall, exhibition hall, cafeterias, toilets, walkways, stalls for display of flowers, beautification of the compound, and laying of electrical cables to compound illumination.Besides, the construction of wat...
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SHRP SUPPORTERS CLASH WITH SIKKIM POLICE IN NAMCHI: ONE ARRESTED
2007-12-30 04:01:00
NAMCHI, December 29: In what could be termed as a rare incident in Sikkim , a group of people affiliated with the Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad (SHRP) party clashed with the Namchi Police on December 26 at Kamrang, near Namchi.It all began when a case was registered the same day at about 5 pm at Namchi Police Station on the complaint from SI Kinga Tshering Bhutia of the same police station. According to reports, the SI who was recruited for checking vehicles at Kamrang near Namchi College, discovered a vehicle bearing No-WB 74F/1883 and driven by one Pema Tshering Tamang without relevant document and challaned and seized the said vehicle under section 270 of Motor Vehicle Act 1958 and took the driver to the Police Station for detention.Later, the owner of the vehicle Basant Kumar Rai restrained the vehicle forcefully and brought back to the spot along with 15-20 groups of persons in vehicles bearing No-SK-02-A/1656 (Gypsy) and SK-02-A/2117 (Alto) and refused to hand over the vehicle t...
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JIGME KAZI TO FLOAT NEW POLITICAL OUTFIT
2007-12-30 03:59:00
We will launch a political movement to preserve the distinct identity of Sikkim” Gangtok,December 29: Come year 2008 and the State will witness yet another party staking its claim in the political arena. A new party, to be formed by “like-minded people of Sikkim with new faces and clean image,” is ready for its political debut, disclosed journalist, political activist and Chairman, Organisation of Sikkimese Unity (OSU) Jigme N. Kazi, here today. Talking with the media here today, Mr. Kazi said that the name of the party and members will be declared within a month. He, however, disclosed that the symbol of the party would be the wheel of life with three stars at its base. The three stars will signif...
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Sikkim eyeing local and international mkts for floriculture, organic produc
2007-12-30 03:57:00
Gangtok, Dec 30: Sikkim has geared up to market its floriculture and organic food, within the country and abroad. It is scheduled to host the three-day International FloriShow in Saramsha Garden in Gangtok beginning March 14, 2008, in collaboration with central government agencies and the Media Today group. Representatives from about 30 countries, including Holland, New Zealand, Thailand, Australia, Korea are likely to participate in the event.With a view to promote Sikkim within the country, an exclusive outlet was recently inaugurated in Pamposh Enclave in Delhi , last week. “Sikkim has a competitive advantage for its organic produces, medicinal herbs, fruits, and vegetables, which are peculiar to the region. We have launched the process of certification of organic areas and by 2012, Sikkim would be declared as the first organic state in the country,” said the chief minister, Pawan Chamling.He identified eco-tourism, hydel power, horticulture as priority sectors, and asked the...
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PAN comes in way of Sikkim residents opting for mutual funds
2007-12-30 03:54:00
MUMBAI: Sikkim , the Buddhist kingdom that became a state of India in 1975, has suddenly become an inaccessible market for the country's mutual fund industry. And the barrier to that is not the great Himalayas but the permanent account number (PAN) of the income tax Department, the unique number that has nearly become ubiquitous for all financial transactions. The problem lies in the fact that Sikkim residents are not governed by the Indian income tax act. Rather, permanent residents of Sikkim are governed by the Sikkim Tax Manual 1948. They also want it to remain that way since they don't pay any income tax to the Indian government. They pay it to the state government instead. So they are not even required to have a PAN. In addition, most of them also perceive that applying for PAN would imply acceptance of Indian income tax acts, which most of them are resisting, industry sources said. But from July 2 this year, market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has m...
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Sikkim to get its first airport at Pakyong
2007-11-17 09:04:00
Gangtok,November 17: Pakyong in Sikkim is all set to get the first of the three Greenfield airports to be constructed in the Northeastern Region.The plan set off with the Airport s Authority of India (AAI) recently calling for bids to construct the runway, apron, taxiways, pavement, drainage works, fencing, and boundary wall works for the airport. AAI plans to finish the construction work within 24 months from the date of awarding the contract.To be constructed at a cost of around Rs 320 crore, the proposed airport would initially cater to smaller turboprop aircraft like the ATR 72s and would give Sikkim its first airport. Presently, the nearest airport to Sikkim is located 124 kilometres away at Bagdogra in West Bengal.While the Planning Commission is learnt to have proposed the sharing of cost on a 1:1 basis between the gross budgetary support of the Civil Aviation and AAI's resources, the Airports Authority has proposed that the funding should come either through a 100 per cent C...
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Sikkim observes National Press Day on November 16
2007-11-17 08:48:00
Gangtok,Nov 16:The media fraternity in Sikkim has observed the National Press Day on November 16 with ''Media as Peoples' Voice- Pre and Post Independence'' as the theme of the year in a function held at Chintan Bhawan and gracing the occasion as Chief Guest was Dr. Pawan Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim.The day has been observed every year to coincide with the foundation day of the Press Council of India.Chief Minister Dr. Chamling inaugurated the celebrations at Chintan Bhawan where a 15 minutes documentary film on Sikkim was screened to all attending the function.The Department of Information and Publicity in collaboration with the Sikkim Press Club and the Journalists, organised the event.Dr. Chamling gave away cash awards of Rs.10,000/-each to five local journalists and called upon them to travel across Sikkim and bring forth voice of rural people of Sikkim through their publications and He also announced medical benefits free of costs to all the journalists of Sikkim.Mo...
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International flower festival 2008 @ Sikkim
2007-11-17 08:44:00
Gangtok 16 Nov: International Flower festival will be organized in Sikkim in 2008 and the cash prizes will be given to the winners, Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling while addressing the newly elected panchayats at Samman Bhavan here declared on November 15. He urged the members of Panchayat to make conscious of the importance of flowers among the growers and floriculturists of the States and make the the proposed international flower festival 2008 a grand success. He also urged to develop the quality of growing flowers and take mass participation by the floriculturists and farmers in this noble endeavor and profession. Chief Minister has already directed to the concerned department to make all the necessary arrangements and complete the taske byl the month of February 2008 for the grand international show. He also said that the Government is actively looking for the global market and broaden the scope of the products. He also said that the right message to the people must reach tha...
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FORMER SIKKIM HEALTH MINISTER OT BHUTIA CONVICTED IN DISPROPORTIONATE ASSET
2007-11-17 08:37:00
GANGTOK, November 16: Former health minister OT Bhutia was convicted yesterday by a lower court in a Disproportionate Asset s case.District (North and East) Session Judge S.W.Lepcha announced the verdict yesterday on a case that was filed by the State Vigilance Directorate in 1995.A minister during the previous 14 years Sikkim Sangram Parishad government led by NB Bhandari, Mr. Bhutia was a legislature from the Rumtek constituency, East Sikkim.It is the first Disproportionate Assets case filed by the Directorate of State Vigilance to have received a conviction by a court in Sikkim.Mr. Bhutia has been charged with misusing Rs.40 lakhs during his tenure as a two term Health Minister from 1984-1993.The Session Judge has reserved the pronouncement of the quantum of the sentence which is expected to be announced tomorrow in open court
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PUBLIC HEARING ON 96 MW DIKCHU HYDEL PROJECT HELD IN NORTH SIKKIM
2007-11-17 08:34:00
Affected families want total safeguard of local interests GANGTOK, November 16: The public hearing for the 96 megawatt Hydel Power Project at River Dikchu was held today at Dikchu Bazaar.Organized by the State Pollution Control Board, Forest and Wildlife Department the hearing was attended by all project affected families and the landowners from Lingdok and Dikchu.M/s Sneha Kinetic Power Project limited, a Hyderbad based company has proposed to construct a 96 MW Hydroelectric Project by utilizing the water of River Dikchu, a tributary of Teesta River in East Sikkim .Placing the technical details, the Managing Director of Sneha Kinetic Power Project Limited Raghunathan Reddy informed that the hydel project would have an installed capacity of 99 MW at the cost of Rs. 49 CroreHe added that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Management Assessment (EMA) have been drafted keeping in view the environmental, cultural, and traditional conservation. He also informed that ...
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SIKKIM TO GET TWO NEW ITIs
2007-11-17 08:30:00
Centre urges Sikkim to focus on tourism and agricultureNEW DELHI, November 16: Sikkim will get two new Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and upgradation for one existing ITIs under the skill development and vocational training scheme.This was informed by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Oscar Fernandes while responding to the queries from journalists from Sikkim who represented the State in the recently concluded Economic Editors’ Conference here.Mr. Fernandes also made clear that the project being a 100 percent centrally sponsored scheme falls under implementation for the North Eastern States including Sikkim for establishing 22 new ITIs and upgrading 35 existing ITIs.Answering another query, the minister suggested that the Sikkim government give priority to education, capacity building, professional training and industrial development as well as give encouragement to the small scale industries.“As far as Sikkim is concer...

Sikkim Government Transfers
2007-11-17 08:17:00
Gangtok,November17: Department of Personnel, AR & Trg. PGCOESD & CM’s SES. ,Government of Sikkim has announced through its office order about following transfers of officials of Government of Sikkim.Shri Ujjal Gurung, SCS, Addl. Secretary, UD & HD is hereby transferred and posted as Director, Commerce and Industries Department on his own pay and scale.Shri Tashi Zangpo, SCS, Addl. Secretary, Commerce and Industries Department is hereby transferred and posted as Addl. Secretary, UD & HD. Shri Shyamlall Rai. Joint Secretary, UD & HD, Jorethang is hereby transferred and posted as Joint Secretary, AHLF & VS Department.Shri S. Anbalagan, IFS, Deputy Secretary, RM & DD is hereby transferred and posted as Deputy Secretary, Science and Technology Department on deputation. Tran sfer order of Shri. Sonam Y. Lepcha as Secretary to Vice Chancellor, Sikkim University made vide O.O. No. 729/Gen/DOP dated 13.09.2007 is hereby treated as cancelled.Shri C. K. Basnet, Div...
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RC Poudyal likely to float new Sikkim outfit
2007-11-17 08:11:00
Gangtok, Nov. 16: After 17 years of political hibernation, Ram Chandra Poudyal (popularly known as RC) is planning to spring back into active politics.Clean shaven and in a new avatar — RC has parted with his long beard as well as his interest in religious studies — Poudyal is in the process of floating a new political outfit.A source close to him said Poudyal has been active for the past few weeks speaking to various people and convening conclaves to get like-minded personalities to form a “third front” in Sikkim .Senior journalist and author of Inside Sikkim- Against the Tide, Jigme N. Kazi, is also part of the new outfit, the name of which is yet to be disclosed, the source said.He added that the senior leader decided to come back to politics, as there is virtually no Opposition in the state. “A lot of people have been meeting him especially those from the tribal communities and the response has been overwhelming,” the source told The Telegraph.Poudyal has been active ...
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‘Draft Vision NER 2020’ @ Gangtok Meet
2007-11-17 08:09:00
GANGTOK, Nov. 16: A Public Hearing on ‘Draft Vision NER 2020’ will be held at Chintan Bhawan in Gangtok on 17 November.“It was intended that there would come a paradigm shift in the planning process and the future plans for the North East Region (NER) will be people’s plans that would be formulated for achieving the targets and goals enunciated in this Vision NER 2020 document,” said an official. “North East Council (NEC) took the initiative for this vision document in 2005 and now the culmination of the process of formulation of this document has come,” an official added.Ms Sushma Singh, the secretary of DoNER, will make the presentation at the public hearing. The National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), New Delhi has published a draft of the ‘Vision NER 2020’ document for an informed public debate on the same. “The Vision Document has been prepared in two stages ~ the first stage involves the people of the region and the members of the civil soc...
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Dr. Chamling's Gift to Sikkim Journalists
2007-11-17 08:07:00
GANGTOK, Nov. 16: For the first time in the country the Sikkim chief minister Mr Pawan Chamling announced a medical benefit for journalists and a free journalism-training course for young journalists to be provided by the state government. He was speaking on the occasion of the National Press Day.
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Eight Sikkimese out to promote Sikkim tourism
2007-11-17 08:04:00
GANGTOK, Nov. 16: For the first time in the region eight men from the state will go on a cross country car rally to promote Sikkim tourism in national level from 27 December.The eight member include Mr Kishore Kharka, Mr Pranit Pradhan, Mr Manoj Chettri, Mr Roshan Gautam, Mr Rikesh Pradhan, M. Tashi Gyatso Bhutia, Mr Phup Tshering Sherpa and Mr Roshan Pradhan. They will cover 26 states within 101 days covering the entire stretch of more than 22,000 km starting from Gangtok and again return to Gangtok. “We are covering almost the entire country except Tripura and some islands of the country” said Mr Kishore Kharka, president of Sikkim tourism co-operative society (STCS). We are taking three more drivers and a mechanic along with us but before we start we will have a week-long medical awareness training so that we do not suffer from any disease,” he added.According to their data 44 lakh inbound tourist come to the country during 2006 of which Sikkim only received 0.4 per cent of...
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Antony to visit Sikkim as Chinese 'incursions' rise
2007-11-17 08:03:00
NEW DELHI: In the backdrop of mounting 'incursions' by Chinese armed forces into Indian territory and the military infrastructure build-up in the Tibet Autonomous Region, defence minister A K Antony will be visiting forward areas in Sikkim in early-December. Antony, accompanied by Army chief General Deepak Kapoor and other senior officials, will be visiting Nathu La, which links Tibet with Sikkim, as well as the strategically-located 112 Mountain Brigade, among other places. Antony, on his part, however, chose to downplay the stepped up 'incursions' by the Chinese forces all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC), holding that the 'incidents' take place due to 'differing perceptions' about the still-unresolved border. "Whenever there is an incursion, we take it up at flag meetings (between Indian and Chinese commanders in the area concerned) or through diplomatic channels...the border, by and large, has been peaceful," he said. India, of course, is always cagey abou...
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NHPC week
2007-11-14 15:05:00
Gangtok,Nov12: The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s Stage-V division has been observing its vigilance awareness week since Monday. A pledge was administered by executive director of the project S. Roy to the employees at its office in Balutar, Sikkim.
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Singalila trek in Sikkim reopened with changes
2007-11-14 15:02:00
Gangtok, Nov. 13: Closed for over two-and-a-half years, Sikkim ’s most famous trekking trail is back in business but with changes in the route.A 14-member Italian team was the first to follow the Singalila trail in West Sikkim on November 5 after a government notification announced its reopening in October.The route was closed in January 2005 after the Union home ministry objected to the trail passing through Nepal in several places, including a camp at Nepal Megu. The Centre had then told the Sikkim government to make alterations in the trail so that it did not enter the neighbouring country. The state tourism department closed the route for two years to make necessary modifications.Considered one of the most breathtaking treks in the world, the Singalila trail is at an elevation of more than 3,000m with a view of the Himalayan range, including Mt Everest and Kanchenjunga.In June this year, in a bid to find a new and alternative route, a recce was organised. It was led by joint se...
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BJP CRITICIZE SIKKIM GOVT FOR MG MARG BEAUTIFICATION WORK
2007-11-14 14:57:00
GANGTOK, November 13: The State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has expressed its dismay and discontentment on the slow pace of work being carried out at the MG Marg and Tibet Road here in the Capital.Terming the recent modification of the MG Marg demanded by the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling as “an unthinkable act,” especially in laying granite stone and putting removable flower pots, the BJP in a press release has stated that there is neither master plan prepared nor the tenure of the project has been estimated. The party has further questioned whether “such a change affected in the middle of the MG Marg project is done without review by a committee of experts or not.”Stating that “the common people should not suffer due to the folly nature of the work undertaken by the government,” the BJP has demanded the Sikkim Democratic Front government to show the Blue print of the work in photograph or sketch and the same to be placed in the notice board at Titanic park, Civil Defe...
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MINOR GIRL FOUND MURDERED IN WEST SIKKIM
2007-11-14 14:54:00
GYALSHING, November 13: A body of a 12-year old girl was found in Singyang below Pelling in West Sikkim , today morningHailing from Darap village, West Sikkim, the girl was staying with a family in Singyang as a domestic help and was also studying in Class IV at the Singyang School. She had gone missing from November 11, Police say.Her body was recovered near to her employer’s house. The body was sent to Gyalshing District Hospital for post-mortem.According to the people who first saw the body, the girl’s clothes had been torn, indicating that she may have been raped before being murdered. Residents also say that a 25 year old man from Daramdin, West Sikkim who had been working in the same house had gone missing from the same day. Suspecting him to be involved in the crime, the Police have launched a manhunt against him.The case has been registered under section 302 (murder) of the IPC and is under investigation
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SIKKIM GOVERNOR ATTEND 4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FEDERALISM
2007-11-13 16:49:00
Gangtok,November12 : His Excellency the Governor , Shri Sudarshan Agarwal attended the 4th International Conference on Federalism held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi from 5th to 7th November, 2007. The conference has been organized by the Inter-State Council Secretariat, Government of India in collaboration with the forum of Federation and was attended by delegates from over fifty countries including Canada, Switzerland, Iraq and Ethopia. The Conference with the theme “Unity is Diversity; Learning from Each Other” was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and the valedictory address was made by H.E. the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Patil with the keynote address being delivered by the Union Home Minister Shri Shivraj Patil. A galaxy of luminaries including the President of Comoros, President of the Swiss Confederation, Vice President of Negeria, Prime Minsiter of Ethopia, Hon’ble Speaker of the Lok Sabha , Union Minister for External Affairs, DoNER, ...
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SIKKIM LOCK-UP DEATH, PROBE BY ADC, SDM ORDERED
2007-11-13 16:48:00
Two police personnel suspendedGANGTOK, November 12: Two police personnel from Singtam Police Station have been suspended following the death of Bikram Bishwakarma, 28 who was found hanging from a ventilator inside the lock-up at Singtam police station on November 10. A magisterial probe has also been ordered into the death.Sub-inspector Tseten Bhutia was the officiating duty officer while Surendra Thapa was a non-commissioned officer on duty when the incident took place.Bikram, was picked up in connection with a theft case on November 9 and was kept in police custody at the Singtam police station. He was reportedly caught red-handed by members of the taxi association in Singtam while stealing a stereo, sound boxes and some audio cassettes from a vehicle. The youth had been beaten up before being handed over to the police. He was charged under Section 379 of the IPC for theft. A resident of Shantinagar in Singtam, Bikram was reported to be a drug addict. On the same day at about 4pm,...
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Spring date for Sikkim Everest team
2007-11-13 16:43:00
photos: Late Sonam Gyatso & The shoes that he used while scaling Everest . Gangtok, Nov. 12: Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute here will lead its first independent expedition to Mount Everest in spring 2008 .While members and instructors of the institute have scaled the peak with other teams, this is the first time the 43-year-old school is organising an independent expedition to tame the 8848m (29,028ft) peak.The second round of selection began today at the institute here in Baluakhani. The team will be sent on Thursday for the final selection to be held under Alpine conditions in North Sikkim .The expedition that will be flagged off sometime in April-May next year will include 15 members and five additional climbing support staff. The team will be led by G.T. Bhutia, the principal of the institute.“Members of the institute have scaled so many summits and broken so many records. So we thought why not an independent expedition,” Bhutia informed.The team is expected to scal...
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International Expert Meet on Dynamic Conservation of Agricultural Heritage
2007-11-12 12:31:00
Gangtok: An Inaugural function of International Expert Meet ing on “Dynamic Conservation of Agricultural Heritage Systems in Mountainous Landscapes” was held today at a local hotel. The two day meeting is being organized by Sikkim University along with United Nations University (UNU) Tokyo, Kyoto University, Japan, ICIMOD, Kathmandu Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Rome and Government of Sikkim.The Chief Minister, Mr. Pawan Chamling, who chaired the meeting as the chief guest on the inaugural day, in his address said that the expert group meeting is taking place at a very critical period of the economic development process of the state. As the state is in a transitional period and is adopting various elements of economic liberalization measures, he hoped that the meeting will be overarching in contents and far reaching in its policy prescriptions. Informing about the innovative measures to modernize the agriculture systems like making the state a total organic by 2015, inn...

Gangtok welcomes Prashant Tamang, Indian Idol 3
2007-11-12 12:16:00
M onday was a dry day in Gangtok.But alcohol was hardly required to buoy the local spirits.There was a gigantic buzz in this prosperous hill station, the capital of Sikkim located at about 4,700 ft, up in the Himalayas.Indian Idol Prashant Tamang was paying his very first visit to the Darjeeling-Sikkim area since winning his national title.It was an enormous moment of Nepali pride.Tamang may hail from Darjeeling, but is a Nepali like much of the population of the mountainous state of Sikkim and massive Indian Idol voting -- organised with fierce regional loyalty -- in every town and hamlet in Sikkim, in part by Sikkim's Nepali chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, (in the pic with Tamang) helped propel Tamang towards the crown.Tamang had now come to say dhanyavad.The newly-minted star had not yet been to Darjeeling and could not go on this trip because his organisers anticipated problems there after the flare-up post his win.All of Gangtok's picturesque, winding, up-and-down roads ...

Justice Subba sworn-in as Sikkim HC judge
2007-11-12 12:13:00
Gangtok (PTI): Justice A P Subba on Saturday took oath as the judge of the Sikkim High Court here.Governor Sudarshan Agrawal administered the oath of office to Justice Subba at a simple ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan in the afternoon.Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, his ministerial colleagues, the Sikkim High Court Chief Justice A N Ray and other senior civil and police officials were present at the swearing-in ceremony.With the swearing-in of Justice Subba, the strength of the Sikkim High Court bench has gone up to two as against the full strengh of three, official sources said.
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Tibetans born & raised in plains grow taller
2007-11-12 12:09:00
New Delhi, Nov. 11: Tibetans who were born and raised in India are taller and display other physiological changes that are not observed among original Tibetan highlanders, Calcutta-based scientists have found.The changes are among the first signals that Tibetans — the world’s longest-surviving high altitude residents — are adapting to the low altitude environment in India, anthropologists at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Calcutta, said.Their studies show that Tibetan men and women between the ages of 18 and 40 who were raised at low altitudes in India are on an average about 4 to 5cm taller than their counterparts in high altitude regions.“Among all human populations, Tibetans have adapted best to the high altitude environment,” said Ranjan Gupta, head of the ISI’s biological anthropology unit. “It’s possible we’re now looking at a reversal of this adaptation,” Gupta said.Gupta and researcher Vikal Tripathy studied body features of Tibetans in three set...
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Diwali celebrated amid fun, fervour in Sikkim
2007-11-10 10:11:00
Gangtok:Celebrations of Diwali , the festival of lights, kicked off today throughout the Sikkim amid traditional fervour with people exchanging sweets and gifts.In the state capital Gangtok, all the small and major markets were bustling with activities as shoppers were seen making last minutes purchases for the festival which marks the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom after 14 years in exile.Bursting of crackers has already started in several areas in the capital. People have started thronging to places of worship to perform Puja on the occasion.(Photos: Himgiri Nepali)

People need not wait for leaders:Dr. Chamling
2007-11-10 10:07:00
DARJEELING, Nov 9 – Pawan Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim has urged the public to identify a “community leader” to redress issues concerning the “minorities”. He was speaking at a alecture organised by the RP Lama Foundation.Talking about development in Sikkim, Chamling said his government was among the first to provide 40 per cent reservation to women in government jobs and 30 per cent reservation in other areas. Chamling said Sikkim, which once looked up to Darjeeling, was now surging ahead. The Chief Minister said he was surprised to see that many villages in Darjeeling were not covered by the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojna. “People should not wait for leaders but come forward on their own to get the schemes implemented.” He also reiterated the need to create a separate Ministry at the Centre to look into the problems of the hill regions
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