Bikash Chettri, Pakyong 04 Feb:
Sikkim Krantikari Morcha celebrated its 13th foundation day across the State today, this time, the party holding grand celebrations at the constituency level. This format saw the Chief Minister, SKM party president Prem Singh Tamang, spend the day in his constituency, Rhenock, under Pakyong District, and opportunity he has not enjoyed since winning the elections around seven months back.
Mr Tamang, who won from Rhenock and Soreng, retained Rhenock and vacated his home constituency for his son. He explained his choice to wanting to facilitate development that a new district required. Soreng, he shared today, has seen two chief ministers represent it in the Assembly [NB Bhandari and PS Tamang], and had hence enjoyed substantial focus and progress. By retaining Rhenock, he wanted to bring similar attention to it, Mr Tamang said in his address today.
The Chief Minister won Rhenock with 54.9 percent of the votes.
In his address, he thanked the people of the constituency of rewarding him with a convincing victory even though he did not spend much time in campaigning here, occupied as he was with campaigning for the party all over the State.
“I won without much campaigning thanks to the people of Rhenock. I will never break the trust with which you voted me as your legislator. People of the constituency represented by the CM find it difficult to meet their legislator, however, the focus of the administration is always upon the constituency represented by the CM, the public is respected and works are carried out smoothly,” he remarked, while apologizing for his absence from the constituency for over seven months since the elections, highlighting that his role as Chief Minister keeps him busy working for all the 32 constituencies of the State.
As part of the foundation day celebrations, Mr Tamang handed over land parchas to six beneficiaries and allotment orders to 21 under the Sikkim Sukumbasi Welfare Scheme. The government will also construct houses for the beneficiaries under the Sikkim Garib Awas Yojana with 8 house allotment orders also handed over today.
The CM also announced that Rhenock will get a Ram Mandir modelled after the one in Ayodhya. Sharing that this was his dream project, Mr Tamang promised to complete the project within three years.
He also announced that Pakyong and Rhenock will be developed as alternative capitals since Gangtok was already overburdened with congestion. The alternative capital will be called ‘simpli-city’ and will be planned as a new township.
He also addressed communally charged comments by one Samson Tamang which have attracted across the board condemnations. Joining the condemnations, Mr Tamang assured that that individuals inciting communal tensions will not be spared.
On rumours of Sikkim-Darjeeling merger demands currently making the rounds, he stressed that no such merger was in offing.
“No merger is happening between Sikkim and Darjeeling. We are protected by Article 371F. Neither can any state take over Sikkim nor can any other region become part of Sikkim. Sikkim has its own identity, and Darjeeling has its own identity,” he remarked.
He explained that a high-level delegation was heading for New Delhi on 10 February to press for the demand seeking tribal status for the 12 left out communities. Those casting aspersions on this initiative must be opposed to the demand, he said.
On the recent Supreme Court judgement on medical seat allocation in post graduate courses in Punjab, which some groups have interpreted as putting a question mark over reservations enjoyed by Sikkimese here, he assured that the Certificate of Identification of the Sikkimese was a special privilege guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
Meanwhile, he also informed that he will be leading a 200 strong delegation from Sikkim to the Maha Kumbh on 07 February on the invitation of Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.
