Another Beauty Title for Sikkim Girl

Sangita Pradhan who won the second runner up title at the 2nd Nandini Darpam Mrs India North East 2007 held in Guwahati earlier this week. Fifty-two contestants took part in the contest, which was won by Manisha Rajput of Meghalaya. Pradhan’s performance got her a direct entry into the Femina Mrs India contest.

BL SEAT RESERVATION ISSUE NOT OVER : SIBLAC

Apex committee want 12 BL MLAs to respond to the September 19 letter

GANGTOK, November 02: The Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC) has expressed felicitations and gratitude to all its supporters for their participation in the recently concluded Panchayat poll.
Terming the supporter’s participation as “under protest”, the apex committee in a recently issued press release has stated that the protest was called on the eve of the poll as a protest against the “State Government’s gross failure to provide seat reservation to the Bhutia Lepchas (BL) in the Panchayat body despite existing constitutional provisions under Article 371 F, its repeated submissions, representations and memorandums to the State Government.”
The release has also expressed shock over the “studded silence maintained by the 12 ruling insensible BL MLAs over the BL seat reservation in both the Panchayat and Municipalities in the State” and has at the same time reiterated that the 12 ruling BL MLAs should respond to the SIBLAC’s September 19 letter by sustaining their clarification on the issue in the most responsible manner without any delay.”
Stressing that the issue addressed in the said letter is rather grave and concerns the political existence and political identity, rights and protection of BLs of Sikkimese origin, the organisation has said that the 12 BL MLAs cannot evade their responsibility by simply ignoring the letter as a mere “hide and seek game”.
Though the Panchayat poll is over, the issue pertaining to the BL seat reservation in the local bodies according to a SIBLAC release is not over and is closely watched by the BL mass. It further says that the BL mass are waiting for the response of the 12 ruling BL MLAs to the SIBLAC’s September 19 letter.

SIKKIM CM INAUGURATES NAMCHI MAHOTSAV

Tourist and local crowd better this time, says organizers
NAMCHI, November 01: The Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today inaugurated the fourth Namchi Mahotsav ‘Cultural & Tourist Festival’ here at Baichung Stadium amid a large number of people and tourists visiting the district.
He also took a round of the venue and unveiled the Flower Show at the Gandhi Park. The flower show encapsulated with Chrysanthemums this year was an effort to add colour to the festival as well as to prepare itself for the International Flower festival to be held early next year.
Organised by South Sikkim Tourism Development Society and Orchid Growers Cooperation Society, the flower show had participants from Kalimpong, Darjeeling, Mirik and Sikkim.
Mr. Chamling also visited all the traditional food stalls of various communities, departmental stalls, rural handicraft and handlooms products stalls and others.
There are a number of stalls representing the tradition, culture, dress, food and lifestyles of the various communities – and traditional houses of the Nepalis, Bhutias and the Lepchas has also been erected in the festival area.
“The much encouraging aspect to observe in this festival was the full participation of Self Help Groups with their handmade products. This indicate that they are really working hard to help themselves and the society,” an official from the State government department said.
The festival is a part of an endeavor by the government to showcase the cultures and traditions of the ethnic communities in Sikkim. It is believed that these sorts of festivals will help in attracting more tourists and organizers maintain that the flow of foreign and domestic tourists is better than the previous years.
“We can also see the full participation of rural people making it proper to be termed as Cultural and Tourist Festival. I think this is the reward for the hard work put in by the Committee Chairman cum DC South D. Anandan along with his team of members,” said one of the Organising Committee members.
Besides, a colourful cultural presentation was also a part of the programme today.
Moreover, to entertain the people in the evening, two local bands ‘Dream Diabolic’ and ‘Janma’ performed Nepali and Hindi pop numbers. Minister for Rural Management and Development Department KN Rai was the chief guest for the evening programme.
In a contest held to award the best bloom in the festival, especially in the flower show category, Mani Kumar Gurung of Bull, Namchi won the first prize availing Rs 30,000 while Sonam Sherpa got Rs 20,000 for winning the second prize. Dil Kumar Chettri bagged the third position amounting to Rs 10, 000 and five others also got Rs 1000 each as special consolation prizes.
The prizes were sponsored by Mainam Garden, Namchi. All the winners will get their prizes on November 3, the organizers said.

Indian Idol Vs Football : Stalemate over Gangtok stadium

Gangtok, Nov. 2: Confusion prevails over the postponement of the first semi-final of the 29th All India Governor’s Gold Cup scheduled for November 5.
Members of the Sikkim Football Association (SFA), which is organising the tournament, have not issued any official release regarding the postponement. They claimed that there had been no “official” request from either the Central Reception committee, which wants to organise a show by Indian Idol Prashant Tamang at the stadium on that day, or the state sports and youth affairs department for possession of the stadium.
According to sources, the SFA will stand to lose Rs 7 lakh from gate receipts alone if it has to postpone the semi-final.
The reception committee approached the state sports and youth affairs department this evening for permission to use the stadium. The joint director of the department, R.K. Rai, told media that the committee’s proposal would be placed before the departmental heads tomorrow for approval.
Prashant’s first album will be released at the show.

Sikkim CM Dr. Chamling’s bitter pill for Darjeeling hills

Darjeeling, Nov. 2: Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling today played on the comparative development of Darjeeling and his state to question the aspirations of the civil society here.
Chamling’s spoke about the need to identify a “community leader” to redress issues concerning the “minorities”, without making any direct comment on the political scene in the Darjeeling hills. The lecture was organised by the R.P. 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.
“In Sikkim, we have provided constitutional security to all the communities and have ensured social justice,” the chief minister said. His audience included K.S. Ramudamu, the leader who has been opposing the Sixth Schedule status in the Darjeeling hills for its failure to provide reservation to the Scheduled Caste community.
Chamling said Sikkim, which once looked up to Darjeeling, was now surging ahead. “In the last 13 years, our state revenue has increased from Rs 44.72 crore to Rs 300 crore,” he added.
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 their 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 hilly regions.

NRT reaches quarterfinals of Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup

GANGTOK, November 1: NRT Nepal beat JCT (Academy) Phagwara by a 2-1 margin to reach the quarterfinals of the Governor's Gold Cup in Gangtok today. In another match, the Nigerian Eagles got the better of Chittagoan Abahoni Bangladesh with two goals against one to reach the semis. In the earlier match, which would have been a draw with the two teams at one goal each Anil Gurung from NRT Nepal scored when the game was 34 minutes old, but was equalled by L Lima from JCT (Academy) Phagwara hit the net at the 55th minute of the second half. Anil Gurung of the NRT Nepal shot the golden goal in 21st minute of the 30 minutes added time and won the game for his team. More than 5,000 strong supporters gathered to witness the first match expecting a brilliant match and NRT Nepal lived up to their expectations. However, both teams drew much applause from the crowds and was cheered on with much enthusiasm .In the second match, Freeman Egbum from Nigerian Eagles scored in the 4th minute of the game, which was evened by Chittagoan Abahoni Bangladesh with a single goal by Liton in the 65th minute in the second half of the match. The Nigerians came back strong with Nkenchor Feauji scoring in 75th minute of second half Al Amin from Chittagoan Abahoni Bangladesh and Akiojano Felix and Agu Innocent from Nigerian Eagles were warned with yellow cards in the match. "This time we have 100% confident to take the cup this year but we have not taken any match linearly as we working hard," said a team coach Mr Fuja Tope. "Today our team had played satisfactory so I hope the best in another match too," he added.

Bimal Gurung outfit in Kalimpong

Kalimpong, Oct. 31: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) today held its first public rally in the subdivision at the Motor Stand here.
However, a large chunk of the nearly 15,000 supporters apparently came from outside the subdivision. They arrived in no less than 700 vehicles from various parts of Darjeeling, Kurseong and the plains. The supporters of the new outfit were seen all over the town well before 11am, when the meeting began.
During the meet, GJM president Bimal Gurung went hammer and tongs at the local GNLF leadership, especially targeting its Kalimpong unit president Dawa Pakhrin. He also hailed murdered strongman and one-time associate of Subash Ghisingh, C.K. Pradhan, as a martyr and sought a CBI inquiry into the murder.
Gurung also expressed support for another former GNLF leader, Chhatrey Subba, who has been incarcerated in a Jalpaiguri jail on charges of masterminding an attack on Ghisingh near Kurseong on February 10, 2001.
“We will work towards securing the release of Chhatrey Subba,” said Gurung.
Both Pradhan, who was killed on October 3, 2002 some time after he fell out with Ghisingh, and Subba were torchbearers of the Gorkhaland agitation in Kalimpong and Gurung’s statement is in keeping with the rebel outfit’s pro-Gorkhaland stand.
The GJM president also announced that his party would gherao the Lal Kothi, the DGHC headquarters in Darjeeling, for 15 days beginning November 7.
“After that I will come to Kalimpong and spend about a month here touring the hinterland,” Gurung said.

Know your state bird, Sikkim tells people

Photos From Top- Blood pheasant, satyr tragopan and Himalayan monal

Gangtok, Oct. 31: The blood pheasant, and not the satyr tragopan or the Himalayan monal, is the state bird of Sikkim, the forest department has clarified in a bid to correct a widely held misconception.
Photographs of the satyr tragopan (Tragopan satyra), locally called “munal” and the Himalayan monal (Lophophorus impejanus) are often depicted in books, magazines and posters, including some published by the Sikkim tourism department, as the state bird.
“The lack of awareness among people about the state’s wildlife species is leading to tragi-comic situations,” said Usha Ganguli-Lachungpa, a senior researcher of the Sikkim forest, wildlife management and environment department.
She clarified that the blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus), locally called “chilimey” in Nepali and “semo” in Bhutia is the state bird. It is found in the higher altitudes of Sikkim, mainly in protected areas like Khangchendzonga National Park and Biosphere, which is spread over North and West Sikkim.
Lachungpa said the word “blood” in the bird’s name comes from the red streaks on its chest, but some people unintentionally surmised that the more visible, red-coloured satyr tragopans must be the state bird. Consequently, the munal-monal confusion led to the Himalayan monal being wrongly elevated to the status of the state bird.
“This despite what is explained pictorially to every participant at the guide training programmes of the tourism department, Travel Agents’ Association of Sikkim and the Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Operators,” said Lachungpa.
She said the correct picture can be seen in the official logo of the Sikkim Ornithological Society, an NGO, and on the front cover of the forest department’s recent publication, Important Bird Areas of Sikkim: Priority Sites for Conservation.
The only bright spot in the whole controversy is that the schoolchildren who attended the Wildlife Week Quiz at the Himalayan Zoological Park in Bulbuley in October appeared to know their state bird.
Lachungpa added that the state government had identified 11 important bird areas a couple of years ago. The Sikkim Programme Office of WWF-India, too, is engaged with the state forest department in fieldwork to study blood pheasants (local name: chilimey), Himalayan monal (daanphey), satyr tragopan (munal), kalij pheasant (kalij) and the red junglefowl (luinchey).
“We hope that with increasing stress on eco-tourism and wildlife, we will all realise that there is much to learn, re-learn and un-learn,” Lachungpa said.

A double-lane parallel for NH31A

Gangtok, Oct. 31: An alternative route plan for a stretch of the National Highway 31A connecting Sikkim is ready to be concretised. The proposal had been pending for more than a decade.
In the first phase, the double-lane highway will connect Melli in Darjeeling district to the border town of Rangpo along the Sikkim side of the Teesta, a distance of 26km. The alignment of the single-lane NH31A is along the Bengal side of the river. .
Since in Sikkim, four-laning of the highway is not possible because of the fragile nature of the soil, the idea is to build a new one and upgrade the existing one.
The Sikkim roads and bridges department has invited expressions of interest from an empanelled central list of approved consultants to survey, investigate, design and prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposal. The bid includes construction of tunnels and bridges and interested consultants have been asked to submit their detailed credentials by the first week of December.
The work will be carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in consultation with the state government. The rivers Teesta (upto Rangpo-Singtam) and Ranikhola (Singtam-Ranipul) will be the median for the highway.
The second phase of the project will cover Ranipul to Tashi View Point above Gangtok Both the phases are likely to be tendered together. While an exact cost has not been calculated and will be finalised only after the DPR is ready, an approximate expense brings it to Rs 5 crore per kilometre.
At present, there is only the single lane NH31A, which connects the state with the rest of the country. With the new plan now likely to see the light of day, NHAI aims to do away with connectivity woes. Landslides and frequent bandhs in neighbouring Bengal — there was one there yesterday and another one today— often chokes the only lifeline of Sikkim. The Pawan Chamling government had proposed the alternative route way back in 1996.
The principal chief engineer-cum-secretary of the state roads and bridges department, G.P. Sharma, confirmed that the plan has been sanctioned under the Special Area Road Development Programme, a central package to link several state capitals of the Northeast. All roads to the district headquarters will also be double-laned under this scheme. The second phase plan is likely to be cleared by the Centre by March next year, Sharma added.
Earlier, the NHAI had called for tenders for the construction of a four-lane highway on a build-own-operate basis but met with lukewarm response as construction companies were told to recover their investment from toll imposed on the road. The present volume of traffic cannot meet the high cost. In addition, the nature of the soil did not permit a four-lane.

Indian Idol Prashant Tamang muscles out soccer

Gangtok, Nov. 1: Indian Idol Prashant Tamang will perform at Palzor Stadium on November 5, forcing the first semi-final of the All India Governor’s Gold Cup to be postponed by a day.
At the programme, Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling will release Prashant’s first music album. Chamling had earlier given a big boost to the Darjeeling boy’s chances of winning Indian Idol 3 when he had spoken out in his support.
Sony Entertainment is going to release 30,000 CDs of Prashant’s songs and will keep the proceeds of 20,000 CDs, each priced at Rs 150. The remaining 10,000 will be given to the local organisers, who will use the proceeds to pay off their BSNL telephone bills, which ran into lakhs when they had voted en-masse for Prashant to help him win the talent hunt contest.
“We still owe BSNL around Rs 15 lakh,” said C.M. Khatiwada, an executive member of the Central Reception Committee for Prashant.
People who want to watch Prashant perform live will have to buy a coupon worth Rs 150, the organisers said, which will get them the CD as well. Apart from Prashant, Idol-contestant Charu Semwal will also be present.
While the news of Prashant’s visit will bring cheer to music-lovers here, members of the Sikkim Football Association (SFA) are worried about the potential financial repercussions of hosting two semi-finals on the same day (November 6).
According to SFA sources, this would mean a loss of around Rs 7 lakh from gate receipts alone.
“We are not against the show and will extend full support to the organisers, but it means we will be suffering considerable losses,” said SFA president Tempo Bhutia.
Efforts to postpone the Prashant show had failed because Chamling will be unavailable after November 5.

Peak push to tourism in Sikkim

Gangtok, Nov. 1: Mountaineering is fast becoming the most popular form of adventure tourism in Sikkim and a British couple are keen to promote the state’s alpine peaks among foreign climbers.
Roger Pynne and his wife Julie Ann are familiar with the subject, having conquered Mt Thingchinkhang, a 6,010m peak in West Sikkim, in 2005. They have also scaled Choygal Peak (5,750m) and Brumkhangse (5,650m).
Following their trail, three more foreign expeditions have summitted Mt Thingchinkhang in the past couple of years, giving a boost to mountain tourism in Sikkim.
“We will return next season with foreign clients for climbing and trekking expeditions in North Sikkim,” said Pynne. The couple stopped over in Gangtok after a second successful expedition to Brumkhangse.
Pynne added that the Sikkim is ideal for mountain tourism with its abundance of virgin peaks, all above 5,500 metres.
“An alpine climbing zone can be easily set up in the North district with the help of local stakeholders like Sikkim Amateur Mountaineering Association and the state government,” he said.
The climber highlighted some of the advantages Sikkim has in this field. For example, transportation is easily available right up to the base camps of some peaks and, for foreign tourists, getting a permit is not as difficult as it is perceived.
“We are doing a lot of promotion of adventure tourism in Sikkim in the European and Japanese markets,” said Pynne.
The couple have also shared their ideas with the state tourism secretary, G.P. Upadhyaya.
The secretary promised that his department would extend all possible help to them in their project.

GOVERNOR'S GOLD CUP FAILS TO DRAW GANGTOK CROWD

GANGTOK, October 31: The annual Governor’s Gold Cup usually draws a huge number of people to the Paljor Stadium.
But amidst the excitement with the ongoing 29th All India Governor’s Gold Cup 2007 here in the Capital, there are many who seems discontented with the way the Sikkim Football Association (SFA) has managed the affairs of a premiere football tournament of such kind.
According to reports, the strength of spectators this year has dramatically come down as compared to previous years.
There area a number of reasons for the football enthusiasts to complain, including the exclusion of big teams, unanticipated hike in the entry fee and dearth of publicity campaign.
Meanwhile, the delay from the side of the Home Department in issuing a circular to grant all government offices, institutions, schools and colleges half-holidays during the day of the matches right from the beginning of the Gold Cup has also contributed to the low crowd at the Stadium, it is opined.
It is learnt that the system of half day off to all Government offices and schools would be granted from the quarter final matches, which will begin tomorrow.
Talking to SIKKIM EXPRESS regarding hike in entry fee, General Secretary, SFA, Menla Ethenpa had this to say: “The entry fee has been increased by Rs 5 for both single and doubles matches. This is done considering the money spent on bringing in good teams for the Gold Cup, whereby the SFA need to pay for everything from food, lodging and transportation to game fee and other miscellaneous expenses.”
Mr. Ethenpa also stated that that the rate for entry tickets has been revised after a gap of nearly seven years. The Association at present charges Rs 25 from the earlier rate at Rs 20 per head for the hillside gallery and Rs 30 for double matches, he said. Similarly, for the southern and northern gallery, the rates have gone up as high as Rs 40 for single and Rs 50 for double matches alongside Rs 50 for single and Rs 70 for double matches for viewers interested in taking a seat in the western gallery. As for the VIP gallery, the entry fee remains the same at Rs 200.
Since all the big teams like Mohan Bagan, Air India, Tata Football Academy and others are participating in the IFA League, Durand Cup 2007 and other ongoing tournaments in the country, the SFA could not reveal their participation in the Gold Cup this time, the SFA General Secretary informed.
The organizers also failed to publicize the event like the earlier years. For instance, the use of mobile vans to inform the public about the daily highlight could not be done owing to the Code of Conduct.
However, with the lifting of the code of conduct, the SFA have plans to initiate publicity through mobile vans from tomorrow.
Lack of floodlights in the premise of Paljor Stadium was another reason that annoyed the people. The 2nd quarter final match played yesterday between Chittagaon Abahoni (Bangladesh) and Punjab Police had to be called off due to absence of light. The match had to be called off without any result.
“Had there been any provisions for floodlights, it was definite that the match would have come to an end yesterday and that we would not have waited for yet another day to watch the match to come to an end,” stated a youth from Tadong. “The ultra modern Paljor Stadium ought to have provision for floodlights besides its international looks,” added his friend.
Stating that SFA is paying the maintenance fee at Rs 2,000 and 10% of the profit from the entry fees collected from the spectators on a daily basis to Sports and Youth Affairs Department, Mr. Ethenpa voiced that it is the duty of the concerned Department to provide them with the requisite amenities including floodlights.
Unfortunately, the electronic score board, priced at Rs 50 Lakhs still does not function.
It may be mentioned here that the electronic score board, which was installed last year by the Buildings and Housing Department has still not been officially handed over to Sports and Youth Affairs Department.
According to RK Rai, Joint Director, Sports and Youth Affairs Department, there has been a decrease in the maintenance fee of Paljor Stadium from the earlier Rs 5,000 in 2006 to Rs 2,000 in the current season. The reason-to promote sports and games and that the Department is always at the forefront to encourage the fullest of sporting activities amongst the locals by offering them maintenance fee at the most reasonable rates, he added.
Besides, Rs 2,000, the Department is entitled to avail of 10% of profit from the fees charged for the spectators visiting the stadium on a daily basis.
When asked to comment on the absence of floodlights in the premises of the stadium and on the faulty functioning of the electronic score board, which was installed last year, Mr. Rai said that provisions for floodlights was not included in renovation project of the Stadium taking into consideration that football matches at nighttime are rarely organized.
“If floodlights are really necessary, we will definitely think of creating the requisite infrastructure in the forthcoming future,” he added.

Dr. Pawan Chamling to inaugurate 'Namchi Mahotsav' tomorrow.

Namchi,October31: The chief minister of Sikkim, Dr.Pawan Chamling is on visit to Namchi for the inauguration of the 4th Namchi Mahotsav being held at Bhaichung Stadium,Namchi . The annual tourist festival of South Sikkim will be held at Namchi and Kazitar for three days beginning tomorrow on Nov1,2007.

The festival is part of an endeavor by the government to showcase the cultures and traditions of the ethnic communities in Sikkim. It is believed that these sorts of festivals will help in attracting more tourists. The Namchi Mahotsav is organised by the state tourism and the district administration.
Namchi is decorated with flowers for the three day festival with flowers like chrysanthemums, dendrobiums and more than 15 other categories. A contest is also being held to award the best bloom in the festival.

There are a number of stalls representing the tradition, culture, dress, food and lifestyles of the various communities – and traditional houses of the Nepalis, Bhutias and the Lepchas has also been erected in the festival area.

Sikkim observes Indira Gandhi`s 23rd death anniversary

Gangtok,October31: Newly appointed Sikkim Governor Sudharshan Agarwal on Wednesday led the state in paying homage to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on her 23rd death anniversary here.
Sikkim Governor along with senior cabinet ministers and government officials offered their tributes to the late leader at a function held in Chintan Bhawan today in Gangtok. Sikkim Governor called upon people of state to join together to fight for eradication of corruption in public life ,besides environment protection and fight against crimes in Sikkim while paying respects to the country's first and to date only female Prime Minister.

The day is also observed as Anti-Terrorism day.
Indira Gandhi, who was the Prime Minister of the country from 1966 to 1976 and again from 1980 to 1984, was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards at her residence on October 31, 1984. She is noted for declaring a state of emergency after a court struck down her election in 1975, and also for her handling of the 'Operation Blue Star' against Sikh militants, which eventually resulted in her assassination.

EC notifies Withdrawal of Code of Conduct after Panchayat Poll

Gangtok,Nov1: The notification for the withdrawal of Code of Conduct in force after peaceful conclusion of Panchayat election held all over Sikkim has been issued today on October31,2007 by Sikkim Election Commission.
Sikkim EC was monitoring the compliance by political parties of the model code of conduct for the election which came into force in state after announcement of Panchayat elections.

ONE BOOKED FOR VANDALISM IN NORTH SIKKIM

GANGTOK October 30: A case has been registered against one Lobzang Lepcha at Mangan Police Station yesterday on the complaint from Den Tshering Lepcha of Barfok, Upper Dzongu, North Sikkim.
Reports say that the accused along with few others entered the house of the complainant at about 4:30 pm yesterday and allegedly uprooted a political party flag from Den Tshering’s residence and assaulted him causing minor injuries.
Later, the victim was forwarded to the Mangan Hospital for medical treatment. The accused persons have absconded from the scene after committing the crime, Police say.
The case has been registered under section 448/427/323/34 of the IPC and is under investigation

Sikkim CM's disproportionate assets case again deferred

GANGTOK, October 30: The disproportionate assets case against the Chief Minister Pawan Chamling has once again been deferred by the Supreme Court.
The date of hearing, which was supposed to take place today, has been adjourned till further notice. According to sources, the case could not be listed today.
However, some reports have suggested that the petitioners had requested the Supreme Court for the adjournment as their counsel was out of the country.
Four senior member of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee KN Lepcha Major T Gyatso, PR Subba and Balchand Sarda had filed the case against the Chief Minister in the month of August, last year.
It may be recalled that the case had been deferred to October 30 by the Supreme Court earlier this year.
The date of hearing, which was supposed to take place on August 29, has been deferred due to the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
Four senior member of the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee KN Lepcha Major T Gyatso, PR Subba and Balchand Sarda had filed the case against the Chief Minister in the month of August, last year.

SIKKIM TOURISM SECTOR OPTIMISTIC OF GOOD SEASON DESPITE BOTTLENECKS

GANGTOK, October 30: The second tourist season of the year, which started from mid September to the end of November has witnessed a boom in the inflow of both domestic and international tourists.
According to the latest data from the Tourism Department, the month of September 2007 alone saw 18,098 domestic tourists visiting Sikkim. Although the data does not specify the numbers of the international tourists, it reads 549 for the month of July 2007. No data has been updated after that by the department.
Sikkim has become one of the hot spot tourist destinations because of its natural beauty and serene environment. One can neither deny the fact that there has been an inverse ratio in terms of the domestic and international visitors. Majority of the tourist visiting Sikkim are from the neighbouring West Bengal. The State had the maximum domestic visitors in the month of May with 59,621 tourists visiting Sikkim followed by 51,231 tourists in the month of April.
But Secretary Tourism, GP Upadhaya is not happy. “In this season, the flow of tourist was not too good owing to the landslides and bad road conditions,” he said.
Tallying the data of the past three years, there has been an approximately 1000 number of tourists increase annually which perhaps is not too much given the hype and the word-of-mouth publicity the State has received over the years. The total number of domestic tourists visiting Sikkim in 2005 was 2,51,697 and 3,02,486 the following year. Meanwhile the international tourists visiting Sikkim in 2005 was 16,827 and 1,80,26 in 2006.
He also informed about adopting the new tourism policy which will attract more tourists and upgrading the existing tourism infrastructure all over the State. He said that the Ministry for Tourism has sanctioned Rs 80 crores and Rs 20 cores by DONER for the development of tourism infrastructure in the State.
The construction of the ropeway at Tsomgo Lake and Namchi will be commenced soon, the Secretary informed while stating that the State will see more ropeways within a span of three years. Mr. Upadhaya added that the Department is focusing on developing tourist destinations in other parts of the State, in order to reduce the load from the Capital. “Our priority will now be on developing village tourism across the State, so that the visitors will get a chance to experience the real Sikkim and get up close and personal with our people, culture, food and of course, the natural beauty,” Mr Upadhaya added.
The recent decision of the State Government to keep the MG Marg free from vehicle traffic is being seen as a positive step towards promoting tourism in the Capital. “It is a good move, because this will now allow the tourists as well as the locals to experience the concept of a Mall, which is characteristic of any hill station,” the Secretary said.
Meanwhile, tour operators says that the ever increasing hotels, tours and travels and the taxis, the business of tourism has become cut-throat. “The recent strikes in Siliguri also hampered the tourism business this year, which led to the cancellation of many bookings,” said Raju Tamang of High Mountain Tours and Travels. Mr. Tamang also said that emphasis should be given to quality tourism promotion for attracting more international tourists and at the same time not neglecting the domestic crowd.
But taxi drivers are not happy this season, particularly with the decision of the Chief Minister on prohibiting MG Marg from entry of vehicles. “This was the prime destination from where we used to get lots of reservation from tourists, but now we are having hard time. The prohibition has hampered our business,” a taxi driver retorted.
Despite the sluggish pace, the tourism sector is optimistic. “We hope that the inflow will gather speed now that the road conditions have improved. The next two months will be crucial,” said a tour operator.

PRASHANT'S CONCERT TO CLASH WITH GOLD CUP MATCHES

Football fans upset, Idol fans happy with the double treat

GANGTOK, October 30: At a time when the football fever reigns supreme in the Capital, the tentative date set for the first ever live performance of Indian Idol 3 Prashant Tamang in the State has dampened the spirits of the football lovers.
Since the Paljor Stadium has been booked by the Sikkim Football Association till the finals slated for November 7 for the ongoing 29th edition of All India Governor’s Gold Cup, the association is perplexed whether they will have to stop the games if the date is finalised for a live musical programme at the same venue.
This annual football tournament is Sikkim’s most awaited annual extravaganza which draws huge crowds from every corner of the State, including the neighbouring Darjeeling Hills.
Given the overwhelming support Prashant received during his bid for the Indian Idol title, it was expected that he would first perform here in Sikkim, as a token of his appreciation.
The organizers for Prashant’s live show have tentatively fixed on November 5, clashing with the Gold Cup.
“If Prashant’s live concert is meant for his fans in Sikkim, then it should not disappoint many of the football lovers too who have eagerly waited to witness the annual football extravagance,” stated majority of the city dwellers.
However, as per the match fixture published by SFA, November 5 has been designated for one single match at the first semi-final stage which would definitely attract huge spectators.
“The early preparations for the concert will engage the stadium for the entire day from morning with regard to erecting a stage inside the playground along with preparations and designs of seating arrangements for the VIPs etc,” a group of locals present at the stadium voiced.

“It is not that we are not interested in watching Prashant perform live here in the Capital on November 5 but then we cannot compromise the football match with his singing,” added another football fan. He also said that the organizers should have taken such issues into consideration before keeping November 5 as the day for Prashant’s musical event. For him, the best day to watch Prashant sing some of the soulful songs of Kunal Ganjawala would have been during the Deepawali holidays, anytime from November 9-12.
On the other hand, the staunch supporters for Prashant stated that there is no harm in sacrificing one day of football for the much-awaited Indian Idol concert. They also opined that it is good that football and music should go hand in hand. After all, we did spend our money and our sweat to vote for him, didn’t we? So what better than to have our own Indian Idol performing for us together with the Gold Cup tournament? A double treat, certainly.

MG Marg Repair work @ Gangtok

GANGTOK, Oct. 30: Certain developments initiated by the state government has created hassles for tourists during the peak tourist season in Gangtok town. The the state PHED department had dug holes in places of the main town at Mahatma Gandhi Marg to repair the sewerage pipes connection. “This is the peak tourist season where we can earn good money by selling Chinese products to tourists but repair work started by the department will really hamper our business a lot,” said Mr Rajesh Ararwal a shopkeeper of the town. “Earlier we used to sell our products like hot cakes but for the past two days there has been no any customers. At least the department should start their works in the off-season,” he said. The pedestrians and the tourists complained about the potholes made in the middle of the road that created inconvenience. “To buy a small thing we have to negotiate all the mud and dust to reach the shop located in other side of the road which really disturbing us,” said Mrs Parvati Lohar a pedestrian. “At least the government should have planned their works before they started it.” “I visit Sikkim every year but the sudden change in the picture of the Gangtok town given us bad impression and had created a lot of hassle for us,” said Mr Joydeep Haldar a tourist from Hoogly. “We could not buy anything so we are returning back home empty handed” he added. The department is however, replacing the old sewerage pipes in the town area as they received several request to change the line. “About 90 per cent of the old sewerage line was silted so we are replacing the old lines and laying the new lines. We are also making collection chamber in every alley of the town with 150 meters of slope pipes so that we can open it to check timely,” said Mr PS Basnett secretary PHED department. “We had dug 14 ft deep to repair 1400 meters of the sewerage line connected the entire town so we'll completed our works within a month,” he added. Meanwhile, no vehicles are plying at the main market, which are turning through Kazi road and Bhanu path road. “We have requested the concerned department to finish their work as soon as possible so that we could restore the traffic flow in town” said DIG Range Mr Akshay Sachdeva.

Tibetan National Football Cast A Magic Spell On Sikkim Monks

TNFA and Manipur XI pose for group photo with Chief Guest Shri N.D. Chingapa, Chief Secretary, Sikkim Government (Photo- TNFA)

Gangtok, October 30: Tibetan National Football Association (TNFA) overcame IWDFA Manipur 1-0 yesterday to reach the pre-quarter finals of the 29th All India (Sikkim) Governor’s Gold Cup football tournament at the picturesque Paljor Stadium, Gangtok.Tsering Dhondup scored the winning goal for TNFA in the 74th minute. Despite strong spirited performance from both the teams, the match ended with the lone goal from the Tibetan side.“We had a very challenging match yesterday and our team won the game” elated Mr kelsang, the Tibetan team manager, told Phayul when contacted on phone.TNFA now meet Bhutan XI on October 31.

Chief Guest of the tournament greets Tibetan footballers (Photo- TNFA)

“Whichever team wins tomorrow will move to the quarter final. The winning team will face Three Star club of Nepal,” Mr Kelsang explains.When asked about Tibetan team’s chances of winning in Wednesday’s match, Mr kelsang noted: “We have not seen Bhutanese side’s game yet. So, I will put our chances of winning at fifty-fifty”. “Our players' level of confidence, stamina and skills has improved very much now as compared to past. So I am hoping for the best,” Mr Kelsang said of the team’s performance in the whole tournament.

Tsering Dhondup scored TNFA’s winning goal in the 74th minute (Photo- TNFA)

The Gold cup, which started from the October 24, is a celebrated festival in Sikkim. All the matches are being played at the Paljor Staduim in Gangtok.Of the total 16 clubs participating in this year’s tournament, six are foreign clubs. Tibetan F.A, Nigerian Eagles, NRT F.C of Nepal, Three Star of Nepal, Chittagong Abahoni of Bangladesh, Badda Jagoroni Samsad of Bangladesh, Bhutan XI, Punjab Police, Mumbai United, Assam state electricity Board, Gorkha Hill Council of Darjeeling, Sikkim Police, Manipur XI, JCT -' A' , Sikkim FA XI are the participating clubs. Launched in the year 1979, they say the tournament has the distinction of running without any interruptions for the last twenty seven years. No other tournament can boast of such a record, not even the Federation Cup and the Santosh Trophy, two of India's premier tourneys.The tournament is organized by the Sikkim Football Association (SFA) the apex body of all the football organizations in Sikkim with the support from the state government and some business organizations with no official sponsor as such.

Chief Guest Shri N.D. Chingapa greets a Tibetan player (Photo- TNFA)


The tournament also gives the local a chance to see the best clubs of India in action along with the national teams of Bhutan and Nepal. A club team from Bangladesh is also invited.This is one tournament the people of Sikkim, specially the football fans cannot afford to miss for anything. The die-hards wait throughout the year for the gold cup to start.Indian footballer Bhaichung Bhutia had impressed during the gold cup from where he was picked up by East Bengal and became a national star.

Results: Paljor Stadium, Gantok, Sikkim

Winners Prize - 3 Lakh (INR)::: Runners Up - 2 Lakhs (INR)

27.10.2007: Sikkim F.A.XI 1 - 3 JCT Acacemy Scorers: SFA:(Dewa Lapcha 71') ::: JCT: Jagpreet Singh 7', 12', L.Zira 51'

28.10.2007: Assam SEB 0 - 1 Punjab Police Scorers: PP: Gurpreet Singh 10' 28.10.2007: Sikkim Police 4 - 1 Gorkha Hill Council ,Darjeeling Scorers: SP: Lamichaney 4',80',Sisir Kartok 67',Bhupen Lama 89' ::: DG: Lapka Lapcha 38'

29.10.2007: Tibetan F.A 1 - 0 Manipur XI Scorers: TFA: Tshering Dhonup 74'

30.10.2007: Nigerian Eagles VS Sikkim Police 30.10.2007: Abahoni Chittagang VS Punjab Police 31.10.2007: Bhutan XI VS Tibetan F.A 01.11.2007: JCT Academy VS NRT F.C of Nepal

FINAL: 7th Nov 2007

Nigerean Eagles beat Sikkim Cops in Governor’s Gold Cup

GANGTOK, Oct. 30: Nigerian XI Eagles reached in the quarterfinals of the 29th All India Governor’s Gold Cup Football Tournament beating Sikkim Police FC 3-0 here today. The first goal was scored by Aigiojano Felix in the 5th minute of the match off a pass from Egware Charles, who, later in the 63rd minute scored the second goal of the match. Though a thoroughly one-sided affair, the match saw a heavy turnout in the stands supporting the local team. The final goal was netted by Oyoh Emmanuel in the 81 minutes off a through from Edoho Gilbert. The Nigerian XI Eagles have got a direct entry to the quarter-finals of the tournament. Despite winning the match, coach Mr Fuja Tope felt that his boys didin't play upto their potential due to the less time on hand for adapting to the conditions of this Himalayan hamlet. “We’ll try to perform better in the next matches and hope to reach the final,” said Tope. At present Nigerian team fulfilled the viewers’ expectation today on the knockout match of the 29th All India Governor's Gold Cup Football Tournament 2007’ as they have more fans in Sikkim apart from the country. The match was very interesting as both team supporters cheered the match with great enthusiast at the stadium. Three were warned with yellow card Aigiojano Felix and Okonkwo Celestin from Nigerian team and Sisir Karthok from Sikkim Police FC in the match today

Sikkim CM Dr. Pawan Chamling to deliver a lecture in Darjeeling

Darjeeling, Oct. 30:The hills are expected to witness a flurry of activity with the chief minister of Sikkim scheduled to come here soon.

Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling, on the other hand, is scheduled to deliver a lecture on "Nation, Politics and Our Society "at Loreto College on November 2.
The visit of the Sikkim Democratic Front president is expected to be important because the leader has been openly supporting the Gorkhaland demand. In a symbolic move, Chamling had passed a resolution in the Sikkim Assembly in support of Gorkhaland.
A group of lawyers of the Darjeeling Bar Association have formed a Legal Rights Forum and will hold a debate on the special status on November 2.

Meanwhile,Advisor to the Sikkim CM ,Shri B.B.Gooroong rubbished reports appearing in a section of the vernacular press alleging that Dr.Pawan Chamling is providing funds to the leader of the breakaway group of GNLF- Bimal Gurung.Mr.Gooroong categorically states that such reports are totally false and baseless ."Such reports are without foundation and are white lies" he stated.Further adding that ,Sikkim has no role to play in politics of the Darjeeling and therefore there was no question of financing the movement led by Bimal Gurung. He further debunked rumours that Sikkim Chief Minister ever had a meeting with Bimal Gurung.

Acknowledging the fact that people of Sikkim had come together with Darjeeling in supporting the Darjeeling led Prashnat Tamang's Indian Idol bid.Mr.Gooroong clarified that support for Prashant Tamang was a social issue and essentially an emotional engagement of people and should not be construed to suggest political affinities.

Lebanon draw with India in Goa, win 6-3 on aggregate

MARGAO, October 30: Lebanon were held to a 2-2 draw by India in the second leg of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian qualifiers here Tuesday afternoon, going through 6-3 on aggregate. India are now out of the qualifying competition for the next World Cup in South Africa. The visitors had won the first leg in Beirut 4-1. Just like they did in Lebanon, the Indians shot ahead through thanks to Sunil Chetri's 30th minute strike. Faissal Antar converted a penalty in the 73rd minute after the home side's goalkeeper Subrata Pal was pulled up for a professional foul and sent off by Jordanian referee Salem Mahmoud Mujghee. The Lebanese striker then beat substitute goalkeeper Sandip Nandy, who came on in place of midfielder Samir Naik, in the 83rd minute to give Lebanon the lead. India captain Baichung Bhutia brought the teams back on level terms with a crafty injury time strike off a corner kick by Stephen Dias but it was just not enough to prevent Lebanon from going through to the second round of the Asian qualifiers with a handsome 6-3 aggregate. The tie was originally scheduled to be played in Chennai on Sunday but was moved to Goa after a downpour left the grounds in the southern Indian city unfit for the game

Indian Idol issue: anticipatory bail of radio jockey rejected

KOLKATA, OCT 29 (PTI) : The Calcutta High Court today rejected an anticipatory bail prayer of radio jockey Janardan Nitin Brady, whose comments on Indian Idol Prashant Tamang sparked large-scale violence in Siliguri last month.
Brady had apparently made some derogatory comments against Tamang on September 24 during a programme of an FM channel aired in Delhi, which enraged the Nepali community in Darjeeling district from where Tamang hails.
A division bench comprising justices Amit Talukdar and Tapas Giri rejected Brady's bail prayer. The jockey has been accused of inciting violence under section 153A of IPC.
The army and BSF had to be called in to control the violence in Siliguri after Tamang's fans and local people clashed and torched several cars.
The town had virtually turned into a battleground with thousands of people getting involved in the clashes.
Police failed to bring the situation under control and the army had to be called to restore normalcy.

'Indian Idol III' becomes Sony's golden goose

Kathmandu, Oct 29 (IANS) When Prashant Tamang won Sony TV's 'Indian Idol III' contest and a contract worth Rs.10 million, people thought it was the making of the Darjeeling boy whose father's death forced him to become the family's bread earner in his teens. However, going by the incredible response here, it is Sony that has struck a gold mine.
On Oct 30, Kolkata cop Prashant, accompanied by one of this year's top 10 finalists, Charu, would be performing at the Kalika Secondary School in west Nepal's Butwal town. It would be followed by two more concerts at Jhapa in November and Pokhara city, where he has already staged a packed show.
The November gigs are also expected to be super hits with Idol finalist Amit Paul, dubbed the boy with the golden voice by the judges, making his debut in Nepal.
Prashant's two earlier shows in Kathmandu and Pokhara with Ankita and Dipali created a kind of mass hysteria.
So great was Nepal's joy at the victory of the boy of Nepali origin that Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, who has been refusing to meet powerful lawyers and student unions pleading indisposition, invited Prashant and his companions twice.
At the second meeting, Koirala even gave a gift-wrapped present to Prashant.
All this adulation is keeping Sony's cash register ringing, with the company collecting hefty fees from each show.
So great is the craze in Nepal, not just for Prashant but for the top 10, that DMI, the event management company that first brought them to Kathmandu, has now become the Sony franchisee in Nepal for staging concerts starring 'Indian Idol III' contestants.
Nepal's corporates are rushing in to cash in on the craze.
Surya Nepal, ITC's joint venture in the Himalayan kingdom, sponsored the first Prashant shows to advertise its Springwood brand of men's wear.
Now McDowell will sponsor the Butwal show.
And it's not just a Nepal phenomenon.
In November, Ankita, who had never set foot abroad till last month, would head for the Big Apple with Emon for more shows there.
They would be followed in December by Prashant and Amit, who would entertain NRIs in New York, Washington, Dallas and Los Angeles.
From the US, the new singing sensations are to perform in the West Indies, South Africa and Hong Kong.
That's only for now.
Raju Singh, the DMI chief, predicts that the craze for the Idol III top 10 would last at least till May 2008.
'In the earlier contests, only the first two or three contestants were talented singers,' he says. 'So the others did not stay in people's memory. But in Idol III, all the top 10 have star qualities.'

SIKKIM: Mountain fever

Yak rides, white water rafting and the Teesta’s lullaby

Susil Dungarwal, 40, retail head (west and south) for Emaar MGF, travelled with wife Sangeetha and sons Shreyans, 18, and Shashank, 11, and family friends to Sikkim for a fortnight in May. After many holidays abroad, this one opened their eyes to the wonders that still remain to be discovered in India.
Why did you want to go to Sikkim?
A friend visited Sikkim a couple of years ago and had good things to say about it. Sikkim had been on our minds since then, but my kids always wanted holidays abroad. This year, when we made up our minds it would be an Indian destination, it had to be Sikkim. With us were our friends, the Thakkars.
How did you decide on your itinerary?
My son Shreyans spoke at length to our friend who had been there, trawled the Net and drafted a tentative itinerary over 12 to 15 days. Then we got in touch with Capt. Sekhar Datta, a former army officer who served in Sikkim and now uses his knowledge of the land in his travel consultancy. Based on our inputs, he suggested a new itinerary. Basically, we wanted a combination of adventure, nature, leisure and tranquillity.
Did you use Bagdogra as your starting point?
That’s right. We flew to Bagdogra via Kolkata from Mumbai and were picked up in two Scorpios. We used SUVs throughout, though we had to change vehicles in West, East and North Sikkim as local laws restrain inter-region movement of taxis. After two days in Darjeeling, we headed for Pelling. Nearby are the historic Rabdanse ruins, supposedly the first capital of the region, and the Pemayangtse monastery.
Yangtze, close by, is extremely beautiful. We spent three nights at a resort called Tashigang, which is on a table-like ridge with a 360-degree view of the valley and a wide swathe of the Himalayas, including the Kanchenjunga. We all fell in love with Yangtze—in the mornings, we could see the snow-capped mountains change colours as the sun rose.
From Yangtze, we drove to Yuksom, the Khechepalri Lake—one of the most sacred lakes for Buddhists—and the Rimbi waterfalls.
You also went into North Sikkim, where few tourists go.
Yet it’s one of the most beautiful parts of the state.
At Lachung, a small, serene town, we stayed at an eco-friendly place called Le Cozy—wooden houses with very basic amenities, no television, no mobile, no newspapers—and we loved it. The Teesta flowed just outside our rooms. For two nights, we slept to the lullaby of the river.
Beyond Lachung, we went to Yamthang, a scenic valley of the Teesta surrounded by high mountains and Yumesomdong, at a height of 15,000ft. The road to Yumesomdong is really narrow and prone to landslides but all of us enjoyed the thrill—and the cold, too.
After all this natural beauty, was Gangtok a bit boring?
The high point of Gangtok was a helicopter ride. For about 25 minutes, we flew over the Himalayas, with the co-pilot pointing out peaks and other landmarks. Since the copter is very noisy, they had to use a microphone.
Was that the highlight of the trip for you?
No, white water rafting on the Teesta was. Though some of us were unsure about taking on the challenge, nobody wanted to miss the thrill. The local guides gave us a very clear briefing on safety measures and then joined us on the ride. We were in the river for 45 minutes, with the river flowing very fast at many places. The boat tilts to almost 40 degrees—the whole experience is so much more thrilling than a bungee jump.
We also had a yak ride near the famous Tsangu Lake, on the way to Nathu La. The five kids even had a race—that was great fun. At the pass itself, we were lucky enough to experience snowfall, with the temperature dipping to minus 7 degrees. It was a first for us and so very memorable.
What about food and drink?
Food was not an issue as Capt. Datta managed to organize vegetarian food for us all along. Though we did try momos and bamboo shoots, we really enjoyed chhang, the local brew made of fermented rice and barley. It is served in a length of hollow bamboo with a fine bamboo straw. It gives a kick and keeps you warm

Arunachal Pradesh to pitch for equity in hydro power projects

The state has bet big on hydro power development in the region and has attracted private players

The government of Arunachal Pradesh is discussing with financial institutions ways in which it can acquire equity stakes in hydroelectric power projects being developed by Central public sector units in the state.
“We plan to either convert the 12% (of the generated power) free power that has been given to us into an equity share or put in our own money into the projects. We are presently in discussions with the financial institutions to work out a strategy about which of these options are more beneficial to us,” said T. Norbu, Arunachal Pradesh power secretary.
Free power is given to states where such projects are based, because these projects entail large-scale relief and rehabilitation efforts and costs to the local environment.
The quantum of free power given to the states may be increased following demands by Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim for the same, as reported by Mint on 12 June.
“It (Arunachal thinking of an equity stake in projects based in the state) is a good thing and will help the state government get a sense of ownership. If the state puts in its own money, the contribution from the developer (PSU) will come down which in turn will help it (the state) to earn more from the project. Having an equity stake in the project will also allow the state to leverage things in terms of employment among others to its advantage,” said K. Ramanathan, distinguished fellow at The Energy and Research Institute.
Some of the big ticket hydro projects being developed in the state include NTPC Ltd’s Etalin (4,000MW), and Attunli (500MW), National Hydroelectric Power Corp. Ltd., or NHPC’s 4,500MW one and North-Eastern Electric Power Corp.’s 1,230MW project.
“The percentage of our stake in the projects will depend on our ability to take such stakes which in turn will depend on our financial health,” said a senior official in the state government who did not wish to be identified.
The state’s gross fiscal deficit is 12% taken as an average over 2001-04.
The total hydropower generation potential of India’s North-Eastern states, and Bhutan, is about 58,000MW. Of this Arunachal Pradesh alone accounts for 50,328MW, the highest in India.
The state has bet big on the hydro power development in the region and has attracted a lot of private sector developers.
At present, India has an installed power-generation capacity of 130,000 MW, of which around 32,325.77MW is generated through hydroelectric power projects.
The 11th Plan (2007-12) has projected that the country will add 78,577MW of power generation capacity, of which around 16,000MW is expected to come from hydroelectric power projects.

RANGPO WINTER CAMP AWAITS THE NEW SIKKIM GOVERNOR

RANGPO, October 29: This sleepy little border town may be well-known for the booze shops and mid-journey stopovers for that hot plate of momos or Aloo-puris, but in the past few years, the locals have something else to be proud of.
Former Governor V Rama Rao, during his tenure in Sikkim, made this town his second home after the Raj Bhawan in Gangtok. The Andhra-bred and brought up Mr. Rao, given his age, could not tolerate the low temperatures at the Raj Bhawan, located much high above the Capital. The logical step was to shift base during the cold winter months-much like what the Britishers would do during the old days of the Raj.
Rangpo became the choice, given its strategic location-close proximity to Gangtok-about an hour’s drive, and along the National Highway 31A. And of course, the pleasant warm weather.
The old Dak Bungalow was soon converted into a temporary base with all needed infrastructure and security requirements in place. The place was spruced up to suit a Governor’s stay and named Winter Camp.
It may have been Mr. Rao’s compulsion to stay at Rangpo Winter Camp for four months every year during his five year tenure due, the people of this town took great pride to host the Governor and generally kept themselves busy by meeting him at several occasions. “For a Governor staying in this town was like having a second Raj Bhawan here. It was like a mini capital after Gangtok during the former Governor’s stay. We were very happy as this gave us the opportunity to meet the Governor every now and then and also gave this place a lot of importance as VIPs would make several stopovers here,” says a local businessman.
Now that Mr. Rao has been preceded by the new Governor, Sudarshan Agarwal, the residents are hopeful that the new Governor would too continue with the tradition and stay in the Winter Camp.
(Sikkim Express)

CELEBRATION TIME FOR SDF & INDEPENDENT PANCHAYAT POLL WINNERS

Independent candidates prove a point by consolidating position
GANGTOK, October 29: Even as the first results began coming in, supporters from East Sikkim poured into the streets of Gangtok to celebrate the victory of their Panchayat candidates.
As the final votes were being tabulated and official announcements being made, the singing and sloganeering continued throughout the day here at the Paljor Stadium.
When the first results were declared at around 1 pm, the winning candidates were garlanded with khadas by jubilant supporters. To keep the revelry going, the winners were made to make a round of the Stadium by the supporters. Celebrations continued till they reach their respective wards with slogans in praise of the party and the candidate all along the way.
“I have won the election on a SDF party ticket with the symbol of an umbrella, which reflect the tremendous love and support of the people and I promise to live up to their expectations,” said PS Rai who won from West Pendam.
The womenfolk did not lag behind in the celebrations, with the 40 per cent reservation accorded to them. The fairer sex was presented well at the Paljor Stadium. “We are grateful towards the State Government for providing 40 per cent seat reservation for women,” said an overwhelmed Zangpo Sherpa who won from 14 Padamchen, 20 Pathing on a SDF ticket.
Rejoicing the triumph in a similar spirit were the Independent candidates, who formed an unexpected chunk in the winning list. Interestingly, most of the Independent candidates were pitted against SDF candidates and their victory could be signaling in the anti-incumbency factor. “Our victory shows that the public looked at the Panchayat poll beyond politics. It is all about rural development,” said a winner from South Sikkim.
Answering a query on the SDF party’s decision not to take in the winning Independent candidates, Durga Devi Acharaya, Independent winner from Taza Ward, Rhenock had this to say: “It will all depend upon the decision of the people of my Ward who have given me the mandate and nothing else. I shall do whatever my people will decide. But now, this is the time to celebrate.”
When asked the winners whether they would seclude people who did not vote for them from all the perks and benefits under the Government’s welfare scheme, most of the winners stated that they will strive to work for every one without partiality or prejudice.
“It is the decision of the people to elect their own representatives and the winners should now work for the people,” the losing candidates said.

HOME RUN ALL THE WAY FOR SIKKIM DEMOCRATIC FRONT

GANGTOK, October 29: Eighty four Independent candidates from Gram Panchayat Units and seven Independent candidates from Zilla Panchayats today emerged victorious in the Panchayat polls.
The counting of the ballots started today in the four Districts of the State at 8 am under strict vigil and tight security.
In the East District, hundreds of supporters from their respective political parties gathered at the Paljor Stadium and waited until the final result were declared. Though the supporters of the candidates belonging to the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front outnumbered the crowd supporting the Independent and opposition candidates, shouts of Zindabads carrying party flags from all the groups rent the air. Infact sign of remorse was also distinct on the faces of the losing candidates.
According to officials, due to the use of Electronic Voting Machines, the counting of votes was efficient and prompt. The EVMs were used for the first time in the Panchayat polls in the State.
The final result was completed by 1 pm in the afternoon.
Interestingly, the margin of the winning as well as the losing candidates is much less, the least being a difference of mere four votes in some Panchayat wards.
The SDF party won the majority of the seats although a good number of Independent candidates particularly from South and East District won their respective Panchayat wards.
As per the report from the State election Commission, the SDF party won 14 seats in the East District in Zilla Panchayat while the remaining three were won by the Independent candidates. Similarly, in GPUs, 95 seats went in favour of the SDF party and 22 were won by the Independent candidates.
In the North District for Zilla Panchayat, SDF won 8 seats with one seat in favour of the Independent candidate. Likewise for Gram Panchayat SDF won 23 seats while 15 seats were won by Independent.
For the Zilla Panchayat in the South District, SDF won 10 seats while three seats went for Independent. In the GPUs, SDF won 75 seats with 31 for Independent.
From the West District, SDF won all the eight seats in Zilla Panchayat and 26 in GPU, Independent won 11 seats in GPU.
Moreover, there was one candidate from the opposition stable who emerged victorious. Bishnulal Rai of Lower Lunglok, Yangten under Tashiding Constituency won a seat in GPU from Indian National Congress.
Talking with SIKKIM EXPRESS, Secretary State Election Commissioner CP Dewan said that the counting was conducted peacefully and no report of any violence was reported. He also informed that the election for Nabey Shotak under Kabi Tingda constituency would be held on November 24, for which one nomination has already been filed.
The election for Zilla Adkhshya and Upadakshya of Zilla Panchayat will be held on November 5 and the election for Sabhapati, Upasabhapati and Sachiv will be held on November 6.

SDF wins rural polls

GANGTOK, October 29: The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has won the rural polls in the Himalayan state. The party has gained 219 gram panchayat seats and 40 zilla panchayat seats, which is the highest in the rural polls of Sikkim. Expressing satisfaction with the “landslide victory” with a 96 per cent support, senior part leader Mr BB Gooroong said: “The Opposition has been swept aside. Our victory was assured since we are a strong cadre based party,” indicating that the moment now was to plan the victory ceremony. The ruling SDF had already won 585 seats out of 889 seats in gram panchayat seats and 46 seats out of 93 zilla parishad seats uncontested even before a single vote was cast. The counting of votes went off peacefully today. “The counting was held at the zilla panchayat bhawan in Geyzing, West district in peaceful conditions,” said the DC West Mr Nitesh Kumar Jha. “That shows all parties are satisfied with the results and the way the polls were held,” he added.

Independents Panchayats on SDF trail

Gangtok, Oct. 29: The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has swept the panchayat polls in the state with a 90 per cent majority.
The party had already won roughly 66 per cent of the seats in the two tiers uncontested.
However, Independent candidates have dented some SDF bastions, claiming 84 gram panchayat seats (out of the 305 where voting was held) and seven zilla panchayat ones (out of 47).
Though it pales in comparison to SDF’s haul of 220 and 40 seats respectively (leaving aside the uncontested ones), the Independents have done well in some significant areas.
For example in South district, considered to be SDF’s home turf, three of the 13 zilla panchayat seats have gone to Independents, including Lingmo-Mangzing, which is adjacent to Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling’s ancestral village, and Wak-Omchu, which is close to Chamling’s own constituency.
An Independent candidate has won the Kabi-Tingda zilla panchayat seat in North Sikkim. The constituency sits between Gangtok and the rest of the North district.
Independents have also captured three gram panchayat seats in Dzongu in North Sikkim.
Observers believe the SDF’s poor showing there may have resulted from the controversy over the hydel power projects.
The Congress managed to win only one gram panchayat seat in the polls.
Eighty per cent polling was recorded in the state with the highest (85 per cent) in North Sikkim.

Soccer-crazy monks throng Palzor Stadium,Gangtok

Gangtok, Oct. 29: Tenzing Chepel, a monk from a monastery here, was seen at Palzor Stadium this afternoon, tension writ large on his face as he watched the Governor’s Gold Cup match between Tibetan National Football Academy (TNFA) XI and IRWDA, Manipur.
“I am not really tense about the result of the match,” said Chepel. “I am worried that my teachers might find out that I have bunked off my monastic classes to come here.”
Chepel is not the only football-crazy monk around, as evident from the many red robes visible in the stands everyday. And quite a few of them miss classes to be here.
“We skipped our prayers from the sheda (monastic school) at Drodul Chorten, Deorali, to watch the match,” said Wangchuk Lama.
The young man added that he and his friends support the team from Bhutan and Tibetan Academy.
After today’s match, won by TNFA XI, the monks were left with a dilemma: whom to support when TNFA XI takes on Bhutan XI in the next round. This is the first time the Dharamsala-based Tibetan Academy has won a match in the Gold Cup.
For Soga Lama of the Rumtek monastery, the choice is simple, for his brother Lobzang Wangyal plays for TNFA XI. The two were meeting after a long time and were seen chatting and taking each other’s photograph after the match .
Sikkim Football Association (SFA) president Tempo Bhutia confirmed that a steady group of monks come to watch Gold Cup matches every year. “If you look closely, you will find quite a large number of monks in the stands,” he said.

(PEMA LEYDA SHANGDERPA)

PRASHANT TAMANG LIVE PERFORMANCE IN GANGTOK IN NOV 1st WEEK

Indian Idol winner Prashant Tamang is set to perform live in Gangtok,Sikkim in first week of November 2007 tentatively on November5.
Along with Prashant, a couple of other Indian Idol III contestants would also be performing at the ground of Palzor stadium of Gangtok, present venue of annual sporting event of Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup 2007.

Organisers have claimed that 25,000 people will attend the performance. They said they paid Rs 3 million to Sony Television to bring in Prashant Tamang to Sikkim for Live Performance.

Meanwhile, Prashant is also set to perform in Pokhara on November 17 where he will be accompanied by Indian Idol III finalist Amit Paul, according to Tamang Ghedung, Kaski, which is organising the event.
Immediately, after he won the title in September, Prashant had come to Nepal and performed live in Kathmandu and Pokhara.

SIKKIM DEMOCRATIC FRONT SWEEPS PANCHAYAT ELECTION

Gangtok,October29: This tiny himalayan state of Sikkim saw ruling SDF party having a sweeping victory for the rural body elections held on October 26 and results declared today.The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front already leads the polls having won 640 of the gram panchayat seats and 45 zilla parishad seats uncontested

Military-media meet @ Sikkim for higher level of synergy

An interactive session held in Gangtok on September 30 and October 1 had stressed on the need to create a high level of synergy and understanding between the army, the media and the common man.
The seminar was inaugurated by the General Officer Commanding, Black Cat Division Maj. Gen. K.V.S. Lalotra.
The speakers included journalists and senior citizens like G.D. Aggarwal, a representative of the Hanuman Tok temple committee, Gangtok.
They dwelt upon sensitising the media on the requirements of the army, its role and how the media could help moulding public opinion on issues related to the armed forces.
The media’s role, constraints, and measures that need to be taken to achieve a more harmonious working relationship were also discussed.

Nigerians Black Eagle eyes Sikkim Governor's Gold Cup 2007

Gangtok, Oct. 28: The “black magicians” are back in town with a different name but the same intent.
The all-Nigerian football team arrived here yesterday to take part in the 29th All India Governor’s Gold Cup. Last year, as GMHK Lions, the team had stormed into the semi-finals of the tournament, prompting the fans to dub them the black magicians. This time, the team will play under a new name — Nigerian Eagles.
The team, which is part of the Nigerian Professional Footballers’ Association, consists of players from across the country who are either studying or working in India. Many of them also play club football.
“We are happy to be back playing football in this wonderful place where people have so much love for the game. We have a number of good strikers and promising players in the side. We aim to lift the Gold Cup and we are working very hard towards that goal. We also promise an enthralling performance,” the team’s coach Fuja Tope told writer.
The intent was very much in evidence this evening as Tope put his players through a hard training session.
The coach knows that a tough task awaits him because there has been an almost complete overhaul of the team from last year.
Missing from the team this time are strikers Suba Muri and H. Abdul, who put in such thrilling performances last year. Muri is currently playing for Peerless in Calcutta.
Another striker, Eze Collins, who now plays for Calcutta Port Trust, is likely to join the team later. Eze, too, had given a sparkling performance in last year’s tournament.
The team plays Sikkim police in its first match on Tuesday. The Nigerians had beaten Sikkim Police 4-0 last year to enter the semi-finals.
“We consider all our opponents strong and cannot afford to take any match lightly,” said Tope, who was in the stands with his boys to watch today’s matches.
Tope had coached teams in Nepal before taking over the mantle of training the all-Nigerian team. He is currently based in Mumbai.
Last year, the Nigerians lost out on a berth in the final when they were defeated by Army XI in a tight match.
(PEMA LEYDA SHANGDERPA )

Swiss-Dutch team climbs 6010m Sikkim peak

photo:The team at peak

Gangtok, Oct. 28: A Swiss and Dutch team has conquered the 6,010m-high Mt Thingchingkhang in West Sikkim. This is the third successful ascent to the peak in just over a year and is expected to give a big boost to adventure tourism in the state.
The expedition led by the 57-year-old Swiss mountaineer Robert Allenbach included his wife Susana Cornelia, a medical assistant, Robertus Laan, a Dutch national living in Switzerland and Paul P.E. Van Rivere from the Netherlands. They have returned to base after reaching the summit earlier this week.
The expedition was organised by Adarsh Tours and Travels, an agency promoting mountaineering in Sikkim.
Allenbach is an Everester, having scaled the highest peak (8,848m) in the world way back in 1978. A technical engineer by profession, Allenbach has also participated in a number of expeditions in Ladakh.
According to Allenbach, the final stretch of the ascent was technically the most challenging because the team had to negotiate a steep vertical gradient for about 100 metres. The climbers praised Adarsh Tours and Travels for successfully organising the expedition, which included managing the camps and providing support crew.
On October 16, a three-member team from the US had also scaled the peak. That expedition was managed by Yak and Yeti Travels, an adventure tour operator here.
Yak and Yeti Travels had also helped a German team conquer Mt Thingchingkhang last year, soon after it was opened to expeditions by the Sikkim government along with four other peaks.
The Sikkim government earns $350 for each expedition by foreign teams comprising no more than four members and $500 if the number is eight or less.

Facelift woes for Gangtok

Gangtok, Oct. 28: A move is on to give M.G. Marg a new look. However, residents here are not happy with the inconveniences that usually come with a makeover drive of this sort.
Located in the heart of the town, the Marg was shut down from today for renovation. It is likely to reopen after March 30.
Chief minister Pawan Chamling had visited the spot, the busiest shopping-cum-trading centre of the state capital, yesterday.
The slow progress of the work ever since it started more than four months ago had drawn flak from several quarters because of disruptions in traffic and pedestrian movement and parking problems.
Prem Goyal, a resident of the area, said shopkeepers would now have to pay porters, as vehicles with goods would not come till their doorsteps. Not only that, some are unhappy about garbage collecting trucks not being allowed to enter.
In the first phase, the old divider between the two vehicle lanes has been removed and a part of it replaced with a narrower one. The telephone cables, too, are being laid underground to do away with the cluttered look.
Since the facelift had started during monsoon, it aggravated the already poor condition of the roads. It increased the number of potholes.
Moreover, the tourist season that followed did not help things much. With more digging in progress to lay the sewerage pipes, the spot remains unapproachable.
According to the chief minister’s order, the stretch between the tourist information centre and the traffic post at the Sonam Gyatso Marg intersection will be closed to vehicles as long as the first phase of the modification work goes on.
Plans are also afoot to lay cobblestones and granite on the half kilometre stretch of the Marg — from the tourist information centre to Star, a movie hall.
Additional chief engineer of the urban development and housing department C. Zangpo said in the next few days three re-worked proposals on the modification will be submitted to the government for approval. “The exact cost too will be given at that time,” Zangpo said.
A rough estimate of Rs 60 lakh has been drawn up for the present. The figure is likely to go up once the laying of cobbled stones and granite is approved.