Gangtok, August 15: The State level celebration of the 75th Independence Day was held at Manan Kendra in Gangtok, today.
Keeping in view the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic scenario, the celebration was held in a smaller scale this year as well while adhering to Covid-19 safety protocols and social distancing measures with lesser invitees but with similar nationalistic fervour like every other year.
The event was streamed live through various digital platforms of the State Government which was facilitated by State IT Department, IPR Department and NIC to reach out to the people across Sikkim and the nation.
Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. The Chief Minister unfurled the National Flag, amidst the National Anthem tune by the Sikkim Police Band. Thereafter, the Chief Minister received the National salute presented by the Sikkim Police contingent.
The event had the presence of Cabinet Ministers, Members of the Legislative Assembly, Advisors, Chairpersons, Chief Secretary, DGP, MLAs, Heads of Departments and officials from the Army along with health, police and GMC frontline workers who were special invitees on the occasion.
The programme also had the presence of Secretary, Ministry of DoNER, Government of India, Dr. Inder Jit Singh, who along with his spouse, were special guests on the occasion.
Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Prem Singh Tamang, in his address, extended his warmest greetings and best wishes to the people of Sikkim on the occasion of Independence Day 2021. Expressing great honour and reverence, he paid tribute to the freedom fighters who fought valiantly for the war of independence thereby freeing India from the colonial British rule while giving special mention to Sikkimese freedom fighter, Helen Lepcha.
The Chief Minister took the opportunity to highlight the State government’s various works on providing basic needs to the society with main focus being the sectors of health and education. He highlighted on the State Government’s commitment towards ensuring the safety of its citizens by providing the best of easily-accessible healthcare facilities right at the doorsteps of both the rural and urban residents.
Regarding health care sector, the Chief Minister laid out various initiatives of the State Government that has brought major changes in the health sector-from facilitating cashless treatment initiated from Chief Minister’s Rural Health Insurance Scheme to providing cash aid to patients from the Chief Minister’s Discretionary Grant and provision of health insurance to all government employees under Su-Swastha Yojana.
Listing out the health infrastructure development in the State including the setting up of Dialysis centres at district hospitals, establishing oxygen plants to ensure adequate supply in the State and also the proposal of upscaling of Namchi Hospital to 300-bedded hospital, the Chief Minister said that there has been a remarkable improvement in the health facilities in the State.
Reiterating the State government’s strong resolve to turn Sikkim into the ‘Education Hub of the Country’, the Chief Minister said that the establishment of Universities and Colleges will further accelerate and strengthen human resource development in the State. The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose University of Excellence being established at Chakhung in West Sikkim will be a par excellence institution of higher learning with local ethos, national goals and global orientation, he added.
He also informed that the extension of the campus of Sikkim University for Master Degree Courses in different colleges of Sikkim has been initiated. The budget has already been allocated for the construction of Sikkim State University at Temi Tarku in South Sikkim. The State government has also acquired 100 acres of land for the National Institute of Technology (NIT) at Khamdong, he stated.
Speaking on the scholarships and financial aid for students, the Chief Minister said that the State government has extended Chief Minister’s Merit Scholarship to 55 seats (5 seats for the students from Dzongu) which can be availed in schools and colleges within and outside Sikkim.
Additionally, under its e-Vidya scheme, the State Government has provided students from class VIII to XI with smart Android TVs along with dish and set up boxes to facilitate online education.
With regards to the agriculture, horticulture and allied sectors, the HCM elaborated on the State government’s commitment towards making Sikkim self-sustainable and self-reliant thereby achieving the dream of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
He said that under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana, 10,007 farmers have benefitted as a measure to encourage more participation in farming and that a Price Support Scheme has also been extended for various crops, vegetables and fruits. In addition to these, the government has initiated the “Highest Milk Producer Award” for individual farmers with a cash prize of Rs. 2.00 lakh on the occasion of ‘Gwala Diwas on 1st July of every year.
He apprised the gathering about the ‘Piggery Incentive Scheme’ being introduced from the current financial year 2021-2022 covering small and marginal pig farmers. An incentive of Rs. 5,000/- (Rupees Five Thousand only) will be given per pig of a maximum three (3) numbers of breeding stock having a minimum weight of 50 kgs preferably with a ratio of 2 females and one (1) male or three (3) females.
The HCM further said that the government acknowledges the importance of Tourism sector in the State and to propel the sector, the State Government aims to build 1000 Mega Homestays in three ethnic designs of Bhutia, Lepcha and Nepali architecture which will be equipped with furniture etc. These shall be run by the locals themselves who will be trained on the nitty-gritty of home stay promotion and management, he added.
The HCM further informed that during his recent official tour to New Delhi, he called on the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Hon’ble Union Ministers and placed the long pending demands including Limboo-Tamang seat reservation in SLA, tribal status for the 12 left out communities and the visit of H.H the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje to Sikkim. They have assured to look into all the aforementioned matters, he added.
The HCM extended gratitude to the people of Sikkim for extending support during these inevitable hours of crisis and applauded the dedicated services provided by frontline warriors in all sectors for their patience, forbearance, cooperation and support during both waves of the pandemic.
He also reiterated the commitment of the State Government on ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ while stressing on identifying all means towards making Sikkim a drug free State.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister made the following announcements during his address on the occasion:
- The Government will start Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme, in the form of scholarship, to 100 best students selected by the Education Department every year from 2022 onwards. Such students will be attached to any Government or corporate sector of their choice and trained for a period of one year. The HCM directed the Education Department to work out the modalities.
- A cash award of Rs. five (5) lakhs to Arjuna Awardee and Padmashree Tarundeep Rai from the Chief Minister’s Fund for his participation and performance in the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics. The award will be presented to Ace Archer Shri Tarundeep Rai on the occasion of National Sports Day which falls on 29th August.
- A cash award of Rs. three (3) lakhs to Ms Sandhya Gurung, personal coach/trainer of Indian Boxer Ms Lovlina Borgohain from Assam who won the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics.
- From 2022 onwards, on the occasion of Independence Day every year, the Government will present an award called ‘Sikkim Rajya Khel Purashkar’ to three best sports persons from Sikkim in any sporting field. The first award will be a cash award of Rs. five (5) lakhs, second prize will be a cash award of Rs. three (3) lakhs, and third prize would be a cash award of Rs. two (2) lakhs. The entire education expenditure of these sports persons after their selection would be borne by the State Government. The Sports Department was directed to prepare a detailed plan, including the selection procedures.
- Before the Dusshera (Dasain) festival in October, the pending 11% Dearness Allowance (DA) will be released to the State Government employees.
On the occasion, the Hon’ble Chief Minister handed over awards and Certificate of Appreciation to individuals for making a distinct mark in their respective fields.
Following is the list of the recipients:
- State Meritorious Service Award: i) Shri Bhim Thatal, Special Secretary, Education Department
ii) Smt Normit Lepcha, Additional Director, Social Justice and Welfare Department
iii) Shri Robin Sewa, Sub Divisional Magistrate, Gangtok, Land Revenue and Disaster Management Department.
iv) Dr. Indra Bir Singh Yadav, Deputy Director, Skill Development Department.
v) Smt Ongmu Bhutia, Office Superintendent, Law Department.
vi) Shri Chandra Bahadur Gurung, Sub-Inspector, Sikkim Police
vii) Shri Mani Kumar Sunar, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Sikkim Police.
viii) Shri Jahar Singh Chettri, Assistant Sub Inspector, Excise Department.
ix) Shri Ratan Chettri, Driver, Commerce and Industries Department
- Fire Service Medals for Meritorious Service awarded by MHA:
i) Shri Karma Tenzing Bhutia, Assistant Sub Fire Officer – awarded on the occasion of Republic Day, 2018.
ii) Shri Deo Kumar Sadhu, Assistant Sub Fire Officer – awarded on the occasion of Independence Day, 2018.
- Certificate of Appreciation:
- Presented to Dr. B.N. Sharma, Medical Specialist and Head of Department, Medicine, STNM Hospital, for his dedicated and selfless service and continuous management of the Covid dedicated Hospital since 2020.
As per communication received from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, Additional DGP, Sikkim Police, Shri N. Sridhar Rao has been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, on the occasion of Independence Day, 2021.
Likewise, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Sikkim, Shri Zamyang Tashi Bhutia, has been conferred with the Fire Service Medal for Meritorious Service, on the occasion of Independence Day, 2021.
The Hon’ble Chief Minister also presented Certificate of Participation to Home Stay Owners in the State who participated in the four-day Home Stay Congress (Seminar) organized in Okharey, West Sikkim from April 4th to 8th, 2021. The workshop was the first of its kind organized in Sikkim for upcoming and existing home stay owners and had the participation of over 150 home stay owners from all the four districts. In view of Covid-19 protocol, only 16 representatives/participants were present to receive the Certificates on behalf of all the participants.
During the programme, the digital launching ceremony of Sikkim Urban Garib Awas Yojana(SUGAY), the first fully State sponsored urban housing scheme was also held.
It was informed that the SUGAY scheme will be aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals set forth by the United Nations namely Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities by providing affordable and safe housing to the urban poor, Goal 5: Gender Equality by allotment of housing flats in the name of the female head of the household and Goal 3: Good Health and Well Being by providing well designed individual houses and group housing.
The Individual House Construction (IHC) is one of the verticals of the Sikkim Urban Garib Awas Yojana whereby a house measuring 678.50 sqft for Rs. 19.37 lakhs per unit will be constructed in the land of the selected beneficiary. A total of 502 individual houses will be constructed in the 7 municipal areas of the State during the first phase of the scheme from 2021-2025.
It was also informed that the Social Housing Flats (SHF) is another vertical of the Sikkim Urban Garib Awas Yojana whereby a flat measuring 688 sqft for Rs. 22 lakhs per unit will be allotted to the selected beneficiary on a long term lease. The flat will be contained in a five-storied building having a total of 10 flats in each building which will be part of several other buildings in the housing complex with allied physical and social infrastructure. A total of 260 flats will be constructed in the municipal areas of Gangtok (150 units), Nayabazaar-Jorethang (40 units) and Gyalshing (70 units).
A three-storeyed building under the Shelter for Houseless Households (SHH) comprising of the male and female dormitory with a total capacity for 40 inmates, kitchen, dining, office and a caretaker’s quarters will also be constructed and integrated into the social house complex at Gangtok. This will provide dignified shelter to the destitute. The total cost of the project is Rs. 15686.93 lakhs.
The HCM handed over the proposed orders for Individual House Construction to three beneficiaries namely Pema Eden Bhutia (Arithang), Pushpa Tamang (Jorethang), Binita Chettri and Chandra Bdr. Chettri (Tadong).
The programme also featured patriotic songs presented by artists of the Culture Department, Government of Sikkim.
