
CM announces various welfare schemes on the occasion of Independence Day
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IPR, GANGTOK, AUG 16, 2023 : As Sikkim joined the rest of the nation today to celebrate India's 77th Independence Day with much grandeur across the State, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, during his speech at the State-level celebration held here at Paljor Stadium, announced the establishment of a wellness park at the Old STNM Hospital premises in Gangtok.
The Chief Minister said, "The
lack of recreational space is
heavily felt in Gangtok. Hence,
the Old STNM Hospital complex
will be transformed into a
wellness park and recreational
spot, especially for the elderly.
The park will offer yoga facilities,
treatment options and provide a
space for the elderly to spend
their leisure time."
The Chief Minister also
announced a new initiative to
present the 'Shravan Kumar'
award to sons and daughters who
demonstrate exemplary care for
their parents and selflessly serve
them.
"In this modern age, parents
are sometimes compelled to
reside in elder care facilities by
their children, however, this
concept is not within our cultural
norms. Therefore, to preserve our
traditional values we are
introducing the Shravan Kumar
Purashkar to be presented
annually on Independence Day”,
said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister further
declared a significant policy
change by introducing a
sabbatical leave of three years for
regular and temporary
government employees. Under
this policy, an employee may
apply to for sabbatical for a
period of three years at 50% pay.
"I am pleased to announce a
significant step forward in our
commitment to the well-being of
our employees. Recognizing the
importance of work-life balance
and personal growth, we are
introducing a sabbatical leave of
3 years for all government
employees. This initiative aims to
provide our dedicated workforce
with the opportunity to pursue
further education, skill
development, or personal
endeavours, ultimately
enhancing their overall quality
of life," the Chief Minister said.
Extending his greetings to the
people of Sikkim and the nation
on the occasion of the 77th
Independence Day, the Chief
Minister took a moment to reflect
upon the invaluable contributions
of the freedom fighters who
dedicated their lives to securing
India's independence from
colonial rule.
The contributions of freedom
fighters like Mahatma Gandhi,
Jawaharlal Nehru, Subhas
Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh, Dr.
B.R. Ambedkar, and countless
others were acknowledged as
being pivotal in shaping the
course of our nation's history. He
paid homage to their legacy and
reinforced the idea that the path to
a brighter future is paved with the
lessons of the past and the
collective efforts of the present.
Providing an overview of his
government's accomplishments
over the past four and a half
years, the Chief Minister shared
that Sikkim has made remarkable
strides in various sectors, be it
education, healthcare,
infrastructure, or agriculture.
"Our commitment to the
welfare of our citizens remains
steadfast. We will continue to
focus on initiatives that promote
sustainable growth, provide
quality education, and ensure
accessible healthcare for all,"
said the Chief Minister.
Reflecting on Sikkim's
response during the days of
the COVID-19 pandemic, the
Chief Minister said that the
State demonstrated
remarkable resilience in the
face of the pandemic with
unwavering determination.
He praised and extended
gratitude for the collective
efforts of the people, the
government, and various
stakeholders in confronting
the challenges brought forth
by the global health crisis.
"From early lockdowns
and stringent health protocols
to ramping up healthcare
infrastructure and facilitating
vaccination drives, our
government embarked upon a
coordinated and resolute
approach," said the Chief
Minister, while highlighting how
the State government prioritised
providing support to those in
need, distributing essential
supplies, offering financial
assistance, and ensuring that
healthcare services remained
accessible to all, even in the face
of unprecedented challenges.
He stated that the State
government has been consistently
upgrading and expanding the
public healthcare infrastructure
across the State. With the
upcoming establishment of the
Mangan District Hospital by
November 2023 and the state-of-
the art district hospitals,
equipped with modern facilities,
in Namchi and Singtam, besides a
100-bedded hospital in Soreng,
under progress, the State
government has swiftly
implemented strategic measures
to ensure the safety and well-
being of its citizens, he added.
Furthermore, the State
government also launched the
Mobile Village Clinic programme
and officially began its operations
on October 10, 2022 with the
primary objective of providing
quality healthcare services
directly to the doorsteps of
remote communities. Currently
active in eight different locations,
the clinics have conducted 1,305
camps, serving a total of 40,451
patients and conducting 15,863
medical tests since its inception.
Despite the economic
setbacks caused by the pandemic,
the Chief Minister highlighted
that the State had managed to
achieve a remarkable revenue
enhancement in recent years,
which is a testament to the
resilience of Sikkim's strong
economic performance and the
visionary approach and diverse
range of steps taken by his
administration to boost revenue
generation.
The total revenue collection
for the fiscal year 2022-23 has
shown a remarkable growth of
67.40%. In FY 2019-20, the total
revenue collected was Rs. 4,841
crore, while in the financial year
2022-23, it increased significantly
to Rs. 8,104 crore, he added.
The Chief Minister revealed
that the State's per capita income
has also witnessed a notable
growth of 32.22% during the
period from 2019-20 to 2022-23. It
has surged to Rs. 6,23,268 crore in
the financial year 2022-23, thus
reflecting a positive trend in the
economic well-being of the
people of Sikkim.
He further added that in
recent years, Sikkim's GSDP has
exhibited a positive trend with a
remarkable growth of 28.56%
during the fiscal year 2022-23 in
comparison to the fiscal year 2019-
20.
"The State's GSDP has surged
to Rs. 40,420 crore in the FY 2022-
23. This substantial growth can be
attributed to a combination of
factors, including government
policies, investments, industrial
activities, and contributions from
sectors such as agriculture,
tourism, services, and
manufacturing," the Chief
Minister said.
He also mentioned that the
first India Multidimensional
Poverty Index Report published
by NITI Aayog declared that
Sikkim with 3.82% has the third
lowest percentage of the
population who are
multidimensionally poor in
India.
The Chief Minister
reiterated the sincere efforts of
the State government to
transform Sikkim into an
education hub in the coming
years.
To achieve this goal, world-
class educational institutes like
Netaji Subash Chandra Bose
University of Excellence,
Khanchendzonga State
University, Medhavi Skills
University and Sikkim Alpine
University among others are
being set up in the State.
In a bid to enrich the
educational journey of students
attending government schools,
the Chief Minister shared that
the State government has
undertaken comprehensive
measures to improve the overall
learning environment and
educational outcomes. A total of
36,374 units of 32" Smart TVs
were distributed to students from
classes 8 and above, enabling
them to access educational
content more effectively, he
stated.
The Chief Minister also
spoke about the Sikkim Adhoc
Teachers Regularisation Policy,
2021 under which services of 897
probationary teachers have been
regularised. He added that more
than 2700 probationary teachers
have been recruited under this
policy this year. He also touched
upon the three-year policy of the
State government to regularise
adhoc teachers appointed under
the land donor scheme.
In an effort to foster and
promote research conducted
in local languages, scholars
pursuing Ph.D in local
languages are awarded
financial grant under the
APATAN scheme.
For the F.Y
2022-23, a total amount of Rs.
3.3 lakhs have been
sanctioned to eight
applicants, the Chief
Minister added.
He also touched upon the
State government's efforts to
enhance students'
understanding of various
subjects and broaden their
perspectives by launching
College Exposure Trips for
college students selected on a
merit basis.
The Chief Minister
highlighted several flagship
programmes of the State
government like the Sikkim
Aama Sashaktikaran Yojana,
Vatsalya Scheme, Bahini
Scheme, SGAY, Mega Homestay
Project, Sikkim Garib Aawas
Yojana (SGAY), Sikkim Urban
Garib Aawas Yojana, etc., that
have been undertaken to drive
progress and uplift the lives of its
citizens while addressing key
developmental challenges and
improving various sectors within
the State.
He provided full assurance
that the concerns surrounding LT
seat reservation in Sikkim
Legislative Assembly, ST status
for 12 left-out communities, and
bringing the 17th Karmapa Ugyen
Trinley Dorje to Sikkim would be
effectively addressed. He further
mentioned that the State
government is actively
advocating with the Central
government to include the
Lepcha, Bhutia and Limboo
languages in the eighth schedule
of the Constitution.
The Chief Minister stated
that the State government is
committed to safeguarding
employees covered under the
"One Family , One Job" scheme,
and further mentioned that their
regularisation will be undertaken
prior to the upcoming elections.
He further mentioned that the
State government has already
constituted a committee headed
by Padma Shri Sanu Lama for
restoring the original names of
various places of Sikkim. This
initiative holds deep cultural and
historical significance, honouring
our heritage and traditions, he
added.
The Chief Minister, in his
concluding remarks, appealed to
vote for three sons of Sikkim who
have reached the finals of
renowned dance and singing
reality shows in Kathmandu,
Nepal. They are Mero Dance
Universe, Nepal finalist, Shri
Mingma D. Lepcha, and Mero
Voice Universe, Nepal finalists,
Shri Sishir Thatal and Shri
Preetam Rai. Earlier, the 77th
Independence Day celebration
commenced with the hoisting of
the national flag by Chief
Minister Prem Singh Tamang.
The Chief Minister, after
receiving the national salute,
reviewed the Independence Day
parade, comprising of
contingents from ITBP, SSB,
Bihar Special Armed Police, SAP,
2nd IRBn, 3rd IRBn, Sikkim
Police (Male Platoon), Sikkim
Police (Female Platoon), Home
Guards & Civil Defence, NCC,
TNSSS, Enchey SSS, PNGSSS,
Tadong SSS, West Point SSS,
Modern SSS, Deorali Girls' SSS,
Sikkim Police Pipe Band and
Sikkim Police Brass Band. The
parade was led by Parade
Commander, Smt. Tshering
Yangzom Bhutia (Additional
Superintendent of Police, Home
Guards & Civil Defence) with
Police Inspector Shri Narayan
Kumar Rai as the Parade 2 IC.
It may be mentioned here,
Woman Naik Sangita Gurung, who
led the Sikkim Police Pipe Band
in the Independence Day parade
today, broke new grounds in the
history of Sikkim by becoming
the first woman band master and
setting a precedent for gender
diversity in this field.
The Sikkim Police (Female)
Platoon took the ‘All Round Best
Platoon Award’ for their
exceptional performance
demonstrated during the
Independence Day parade while
PNGSSS bagged the Best School
Contingent Award.
Guest platoon,
Bihar Special Armed Police, was
also felicitated for their dedicated
participation in the State-level
Independence Day celebration.
On the occasion of
Independence Day 2023, a
significant announcement was
made, marking a moment of pride
for the State. Avichal, Additional
Director General of Police,
Armed Police & Training, Sikkim
has been conferred with the
prestigious President's Police
Medal (PPM) for Distinguished
Service, 2023 and Shri Sonam
Gyatso Bhutia, Deputy Inspector
General of Police, Reserved
Lines, Sikkim Police with the
Police Medal for Meritorious
Service, 2023, as declared by the
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Government of India.
The Union Home Minister's
Medal for Excellence in
Investigation for the year 2023 has
been conferred to Shri Sher
Bahadur Manager, Police
Inspector, Singtam Police Station.
Additionally, the Fire Service Medal for Meritorious Service this year has been awarded to Shri Raj Kumar Pradhan, Assistant Sub Fire Officer, Namchi Fire and Emergency Service and the Home Guards and Civil Defence Medal for Meritorious Service to Shri Buddha Kumar Gurung, Assistant Sub Inspector (HG), Home Guard and Civil Defence, Gangtok.
Additionally, the Fire Service Medal for Meritorious Service this year has been awarded to Shri Raj Kumar Pradhan, Assistant Sub Fire Officer, Namchi Fire and Emergency Service and the Home Guards and Civil Defence Medal for Meritorious Service to Shri Buddha Kumar Gurung, Assistant Sub Inspector (HG), Home Guard and Civil Defence, Gangtok.
This special announcement
was followed by the presentation
of various awards and honours
that commenced with the pinning
up of the Police Medals for
Meritorious Service to six Sikkim
Police and Fire personnel,
received from the Ministry of
Home Affairs, Government of
India in 2021 and 2022.
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