Chamling directs panchayats to form committee to meet demands of public

SNS, Gangtok, 17 November 2013: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has stressed on the need to give utmost importance to the Gram Sabhas and directed the panchayats to immediately form a grass root level committee to meet the genuine demands of the public within a month.

The chief minister’s move perhaps could be a ploy to woe the rural populace at a time when the opposition vis-a-vis the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) is looking to garb the state with maximum votes but Mr Chamling, who is also the SDF chief, said his politics is based on ‘cause’ and not ‘condition’. Directing the elected representatives to work with a single aim to uplift the Sikkimese society, he added: “The panchayat members should exhibit their leadership qualities and use their discretion while dealing the public with their demands”.

The committee should be formed within a month and comprise an active member from each family preferably an unemployed youth. The Chief Minister went on to elaborate on the vision of the Government to make Sikkim an 'Eco-City State'. This, he said, was a model to make available at the grass root level all the opportunities that is enjoyed in the Capital of the State. This model of development would ensure uniform upliftment of the quality of life of people in every ward of the State. Complimenting the panchayats for having attained the goal to provide minimum needs of the people like drinking water and electricity, he shared the need to graduate from the slogan for development at the village level from 'aafno gaon aafai banaun' to 'Aafno Gaon Ramro Banaun'. Further, Mr Chamling maintained that 70 per cent of the total state budget is allocated for rural development which in itself is a first-of-its-kind initiative by any State Government. Initiatives like the austerity measures, he said, have been taken by the Government to save up for rural development.

The Chief Minister also directed the Social Justice and Empowerment Department to immediately complete the formalities and create pension forms for transgender and unmarried women above 45 years of age.