In Pictures - Vice President M.Hamid Ansari visits to Sikkim

We are stepping into a new dawn for Sikkim: Pawan Chamling

A significant milestone: VP Hamid Ansari

Rangpo,October31: Mr. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India, laid the foundation stone for Sivok-Rangpo rail link on Friday, October 30, at a Rangpo site. Those present included Mrs. Ansari, Governor of Sikkim, Mr. BP Singh, Mrs. Singh, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, Union Minister for Railways, Mr. Mukul Roy, Union Minister of State for Shipping, Dr. Pawan Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim, Chief Secretary and other officials, Government of Sikkim, and representatives and officials from Railways.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Ansari said, “I am very happy to participate in today’s function and lay the foundation stone for the new broad gauge line between Sevok and Rangpo that would provide the first ever rail link to Sikkim. This is a significant milestone in providing the rail connectivity to the state”.
He hoped that the national project would be completed on time. It is also gratifying that further extension of this line from Rangpo to Gangtok is being planned and the survey for the same has been carried out, he said. He also said, establishing rail connectivity would not only lead to further economic development but also increase the number of tourists coming to the state.
Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling in his address said, “Today is a red letter day for Sikkim and the Sikkimese people as the dream project that we pursued with the wholehearted support and endorsement of the Central Government has come to a full circle”.
As a Himalayan State, CM said, Sikkim is face to face with certain specific problems and hardships caused by its locational disadvantages and as a landlocked State, “we are deprived of easy access to regular communication and transportation linkages with the outside world”.
“With the only existing 31A National Highway to link Sikkim with the rest of the Country and the world, we are hard pressed to build other channel of communication for the State. Frequent disruptions due to landslides and disturbances in the neighbouring areas give us a sense of isolation and cause extreme hardships at times. However, today I feel this story belongs to the past and we are now stepping into a new dawn”. He said, “I am personally grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh and convey the gratitude of my people to the Government of India and to the Ministry of Railways and the Railway Board for making our cherished dream a reality”.

Chief Minister said, “Together with the completion of the first phase of the project upto Rangpo, we would also eagerly look forward to the second phase of the project to be extended to Gangtok as part of the policy of the Ministry of Railways to provide rail link to all State Capitals. In fact, Madam Benerjee has been kind to let us know that preliminary engineering and traffic survey for extension of rail line from Sivok-Rangpo to Gangtok has been completed in March 2009. My Government will give topmost priority in helping the Railways to finalize the locational surveys, acquire land and render any assistance required”.
He further said, “I would like to share our dream and plan to extend the railway track upto Nathula border post standing at 14, 400 feet separating India with Tibet Autonomous Region of China. We are aware that countries like Switzerland has created special railway line in high altitude area over and above 14,000 feet like the Jungfraujoch (pronounced as Un-fra-yok) on top of Europe and in Mount Titlis, creating an engineering wonder”. “In the same way”, CM said, “I would like to urge upon the railway authorities to take advantage of the scenic beauty of Sikkim together with its strategic location to create another wonder of the world in the railway history surpassing all past achievements”.

Sikkim chugs into country’s rail map

Rangpo/Sevoke, Oct. 30: Eighty-year-old Ratna Bahadur Rai wants to live for at least five more years. Reason: his half-a-century old aspiration to board a train from Sikkim to reach Siliguri.

As Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari today laid the foundation stone for a landmark railway project to connect Rangpo to Sevoke, Rai cheered along with thousands of others. The old man had trekked from Mazitar to the Mining Stadium Ground in Rangpo to witness the event which will for the first time place the Himalayan state on the railway map of India. The railway link is expected to be extended to Gangtok, around 40km from Rangpo, the town on the Sikkim-Bengal border.

“I huffed and puffed as I walked the hilly terrain, but I was determined to come to Rangpo. In the 50s, when I was a little more than 20 years old, I used to carry oranges, ginger and wool bought from Tibetan traders on bullock carts to reach Geillkhola near Kalimpong,” recollected Rai. “The goods were loaded on the little train that used to chug out of the station everyday to Siliguri. I had always wanted to board the train but could not as after some years, the service was discontinued because of landslide. It used to take 24 hours for a return journey from Geillkhola to Rangpo.”

Ansari, who considers the plan to connect Sikkim to the rest of the country by trains an engineering achievement, had a word of appreciation for the Indian Railways. “It was only recently that a train was flagged off in a similar hilly terrain in Jammu and Kashmir. The effort of the railway ministry is appreciable and we look forward for execution of this project which was a long-drawn aspiration of Sikkim residents.”

Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling, who was present at the event with governor Balmiki Prasad Singh, thanked the railways. “Today is a red letter day for Sikkim. So far, the sole means of communication was NH31A. It is good our state has now been included in the rail map and we look forward to see the route extended to Gangtok and trains leaving from our state capital in the coming years.”

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee announced in Hindi that two computerised passenger reservation centres would be set up in Rangpo and Gangtok in a month. Passing on necessary instruction to Northeast Frontier Railway officials on the stage, she said: “Introduction of railway services will not only improve communication but the economy of the region as a whole. It is a big project and we are determined to finish the first phase and then extend it up to Gangtok, unlike others who simply lay foundation stones and turn oblivious when it comes to execution.

“If we can lay railway tracks in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh, we can do the same in Sikkim. We have come here only after passing the work orders and allocating Rs 1,400 crore for it.”

The laying of foundation stone has not only brought communication hopes but fuelled job expectations as well.

Ajit Raphel, a second year student of ITI Rangpo, was seen sitting at the venue with a group of friends. “We are being technically trained and opening of rail route will definitely help us get more job opportunities,” he said.

Foundation stone laid in Rangpo, Mamata’s convoy rushed to Sevoke to lay another foundation stone for the same project. She announced an award of Rs 10 lakh for the NFR for performing well.

Vice President Ansari lays foundation stone for first ever Rail line in Sikkim

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India at the laying of the foundation stone for the new railway line from Sivok to Rangpo on 30th October 2009 at Rangpo in Sikkim. The Governor of Sikkim, Shri Balmiki Prasad Singh and the Chief Minister of Sikkim, Dr. Pawan K. Chamling are also seen.

Gangtok,Oct 30:The Vice President Mohd. Hamid Hansari has asserted that the centre is fully aware to the need to significantly upgrade road, rail and air connectivity in the entire North-East region. He was laying the foundation stone for the first ever rail line to Sikkim at Rangpo in Sikkim on Friday. Describing the project as creating an engineering history for the railways, the vice-president said it was a "significant milestone" in providing railway connectivity to the state. He said the project would be an "eye-opener" for similar projects to be developed in the entire northeast.

"The government is fully aware of the need to significantly upgrade road, rail and air connectivity in the entire northeastern region. Many initiatives have been undertaken in this regard. The Sevoke-Rangpo broad gauge line is one such," Ansari said in his address.

The Railway Minister Ms.Mamta Banerjee said that there is a plan to connect Gangtok to Darjeeling and Mirik as well. The State Governor Mr. Balmiki Prasad Singh and the Chief Minister Mr.Pawan Chamling were also present on the occasion. AIR Gangtok correspondent reports that 1340 crore rupees rail project connecting Rangpo in Sikkim to the rest of the country via Sevoke in West Bengal will be completed by 2015. The 53 kilometer long Rangpo - Sevoke rail route will have five stations, 100 small bridges, 13 tunnels including one with a length of around 2 kilometer and four manned railway crossings. The rail project will provide a much needed alternative connectivity to this land-locked mountainous border state, the national highway 31 A get disrupted by frequent landslides particularly during the monsoon.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee said her ministry would ensure that the project was completed within the scheduled time frame of five years.

Assuring the people that the project would receive her "personal attention", Banerjee said the link will cover 52.7 km with 13 tunnels and 110 small and large bridges. More than 12 km of the link will run through tunnels, the longest of which is 1.814 km.

Vice-President @ Gangtok Raj Bhawan

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India being presented a traditional cap by the Governor of Sikkim, Shri Balmiki Prasad Singh in Gangtok, Sikkim on October 29, 2009.

Mr. Ansari visited Namgyal Institute of Tibetology

      photo:SikkimReporter

Gangtok,October29: Vice President Mr. Ansari visited Namgyal Institute of Tibetology (NIT), Deorali, Thursday afternoon. He was accompanied by Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh, Mrs. Karuna Singh, Chief Minister Dr. Pawan Chamling, HRDD Minister Mr. N.K.Pradhan, officials of the Institute.
Vice President released two CDs, one on ritual music from the Monasteries of Sikkim and another on Cham (dance) in the Sikkimese village of Phensong. He was given every information about the collections in the Institute museum by Kunga H. Hochochun, a Tebetan scholar.
Earlier on the day, Vice President along with his wife, accompanied by Governor and Chief Minister, among others, visited an Orchid farm at Assam Linzey in East Sikkim.

Sikkim High Court Souvenir with no proper declaration

Gangtok, October 30 : The Vice President, Mohd. Hamid Ansari releasing the souvenir of the Golden Jubilee of the celebration committee 2009-2010 of High court of Sikkim, at Gangtok on October 29, 2009.
Interestingly the souvenir of the Golden Jubilee of the celebration committee 2009-2010 of High court published without making declaration violating the Act. As per Section 3 of ‘the Press and Registration of Books Act, 1867', every book or paper printed within India shall have printed legibly on it the name of the printer and the place of printing, and if the book or paper be published the name of the publisher, and the place of publication.

Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, Chief Judge of Sikkim High Court Justice Aftab H. Saikia were also presented in the function.

Chintan Bhawan Address by the Hon’ble Vice President

Address by the Hon’ble Vice President at the inauguration of the Regional Conference on “Right to Education with Special Reference to Sikkim and its impact on Legal Awareness Campaign” at Chintan Bhawan, Gangtok at 1145 hours on 29th October 2009


It gives me great pleasure to inaugurate the Regional Conference organized as part of the on-going Golden Jubilee celebrations of the High Court of Sikkim. The merger of the state with the Union of India in 1975 has strengthened the functioning of the High Court and subordinate court structure in Sikkim. It has also reinforced the separation of judiciary from executive and ensured speedy dispensation of justice. It is a momentous occasion for the High Court and the people of the state and I extend my congratulations.
The subject of the conference is of topical relevance. Sikkim is a progressive state and one of the first in the country to recognize the importance of human development. In keeping with the new development paradigm and focusing on broader development measures, the state has produced its Human Development Report as far back as 2001 under the guidance of Chief Minister Chamling.


Sikkim has a long tradition of religious, monastic and missionary education. The first government school began over a hundred years ago. The state government had focused on “education for all” along with quality, access to school within walking distance, improvement in material and human resources and encouraging vocational education and education for weaker sections. The priority for education was also reflected in the budgetary allocation, with education accounting for around 15 per cent of the total Plan outlay.
Literacy outcomes in Sikkim have also been very impressive. The state has a literacy rate of over 75 per cent, and in urban areas, it is over 80 per cent. The increase in literacy has been particularly impressive in the 1990s as the government emphasized rural and female literacy. The state has now targeted 2011 to achieve a 90 per cent literacy rate and the year 2015 to achieve 100 per cent literacy.
Ladies and Gentlemen
It has taken us six decades after independence to provide the right to every child in the 6-14 years age group to free and compulsory primary education in neighborhood schools. The Right to Education Act passed by the Parliament last month is a historic step and empowers our citizens to demand education so that every citizen can develop her potential to the fullest.
With its impressive record in the field of education, the question for the state is to assess whether formal enrolment has been translated into meaningful educational outcomes. We need to question if our children have acquired skills commensurate with their schooling and whether they have access to vocational and technical skills, social and life skills that are necessary once they leave the portals of the school.
We also need to question whether there exists inequity, and segregated access to quality education. We need to assess if this is being realized for the poor and the vulnerable at the bottom of the socio-economic pyramid.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The products of our education system are the future citizens of the country. A rudimentary legal awareness of their rights and duties as citizens and of the basic political, Constitutional and legal scheme of things in the country are imparted in the schools. However, empowering citizens in a more meaningful manner can only be done through specific and specialized legal awareness programmes of the kind conducted by the Sikkim State Legal Services Authority. I hope that the existing synergy between civil society and the government would continue to further legal awareness in the state.


The narrative of educational reform must begin from the premise that every citizen has the right to a dignified life and that it is the duty of the state to make it possible. Education is indeed the most potent instrument for social and economic mobility and for eventually bringing about social and political change. The state government has correctly recognized the importance of education. I can only wish all success to the government and to the legal fraternity in their endeavour to promote education and legal awareness in the state.
I once again extend my hearty congratulations for the golden jubilee celebrations of the High Court of Sikkim and thank Justice Aftab Saikia for inviting me to this function

VIce President Visits Orchids Farm

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India visiting Orchid Farm at Sikkim Orchid Ltd. Assam Lingzey in Sikkim on October 29, 2009. The Governor of Sikkim, Shri Balmiki Prasad Singh is also seen

Universal education should benefit all sections: Ansari

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India addressing at the inauguration of the Regional Conference on “Right to Education with Special Reference to Sikkim and its impact on Legal Awareness Campaign” in Gangtok, Sikkim on 29th October 2009

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India lighting the lamp to inaugurate the Regional Conference on “Right to Education with Special Reference to Sikkim and its impact on Legal Awareness Campaign”, in Gangtok, Sikkim on October 29, 2009. The Governor of Sikkim, Shri Balmiki Prasad Singh is also seen.

Gangtok,October29: Describing Right to Education Act as historic, Vice-President Hamid Ansari on Thursday urged the government to ensure that students acquired skills commensurate with their schooling with access to vocational and technical skills.

“It has taken us six decades since Independence to provide the right to every child in the age-group of 6 to 14 years a free and compulsory primary education in the schools in their neighbourhood,” he said.

“The Act passed by the Parliament last month empowers our citizens to demand education in order to development ones potential to the fullest,” Mr. Ansari said.

Hinting at making educational institutions accountable for qualitative improvement in the lives of the people, he questioned whether children acquired skills commensurate with their schooling and access to vocational and technical skills, social and life skills at the time of leaving school.

The Vice-President also emphasised on the commitment to universal education benefiting all sections of society irrespective of socio-economic status and said there existed an inequity and segregated access to quality education.

He was inaugurating a seminar on ‘Right to Education with Special Reference to Sikkim and Its Impact on Legal Awareness Campaign’ at Chintan Bhawan here

Vice President Ansari to visit Namgyal Institute of Tibetology today

photo:Sikkimexpress

GANGTOK, October 28: The Vice President Hamid Ansari will be releasing two audio and video DVDs during his visit at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology in Deorali, near Gangtok in the evening of October 29.
The first DVD is a collection of 37 hours of sound recordings of monastic hymns from the different monasteries of Sikkim and the second is 72 minutes of film on monastic mask dances.
This digitization project, it is informed will greatly benefit scholars and Lamas worldwide as access to manuscripts for their research and monastic work will become available through the internet.
The NIT release also informs that the Institution had submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Department of Information and Technology, Government of India for the preservation and digital archiving of rare manuscripts and folios. The Ministry of Communication and IT, Government of India sanctioned a grant for the project and the Department of Information and Technology, Government of Sikkim sanctioned a grant for the manpower.
The digitization was started in 2007 and completed in January, 2009. The Institute has digitized a total of 4.50 lakhs folios which are being uploaded on the Digital Library of India website. As a part of the same project, 58 hours of sound recordings and 72 hours of video recording were carried out in the monasteries of Sikkim

Vice President of India @ Gangtok

Arrival of Vice President Ansari in Gangtok

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India meeting with Shri Balmiki Prasad Singh, Governor of Sikkim

Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri M Hamid Ansari being given Guard of Honour by the State Police.

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India and his wife Smt. Salma Ansari lighting up the candles, at the Lingdum Monastery in Sikkim on October 28, 2009.

Tricolour flies in Gangtok for Vice-President Ansari

Vice President of India arrives in Gangtok

Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice President of India being received by the Governor of Sikkim, Shri Balmiki Prasad Singh at Libing Helipad, Gangtok on October 28, 2009.

Vice President Ansari visits Lingdum Monastery & Ban Jhakri falls

Ban Jhakri Falls

Gangtok, Oct 28 : Vice President Hamid Ansari today arrived here on a three-day visit to Sikkim, his first since he assumed office.

He was received at Libing helipad by Governor B P Singh and Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling.

The Vice President's cavalcade thereafter left for Raj Bhawan where he will put up during his maiden visit.

Vice President Ansari visited Lingdum Monastery, Cultural Village and Ban Jhakri falls during the day and returned back around 6pm in evening back to Raj Bhawan, officials said.

RMDD Minister buckles up for Ansari visit

GANGTOK, October 27: Keeping in view the visit of the Vice President of India Hamid Ansari at Ban Jhakri Falls Park at Ranka, few kilometres away from here, the State Rural Management and Development Department Minister CB Karki today visited the park to take stock of the arrangement for the visit.
As per the scheduled itinerary, the Vice President is likely to visit Ban Jharki Falls October 28.
While interacting with the concerned officials and the workers today, Mr. Karki ensured that every possible effort would be made to accord a warm welcome to the Vice President of India.
The entire departmental team has been involved in the beautification and the cleaning of the park.
Mr. Karki also visited Sanskritik Gram located at Ranka today

Vice President’s Itinerary for Sikkim trip: Oct 28-30

28.10.2009 (Wednesday)


0850 HRS DEPARTURE DELHI AIRPORT (TA) BY IAF PLANE
1045 HRS ARRIVAL BAGDOGRA AIRPORT
1045 HRS To TRANSIT (AIRCRAFT TO HELICOPTER)1055 HRS
1100 HRS DEPARTURE BAGDOGRA AIRPORT BY IAF HELICOPTER
1130 HRS ARRIVAL LIBING HELIPAD, GANGTOK
1130 HRS GUARD OF HONOUR, RECEPTION AND INTRODUCTION
To 1145 HRS
1145 HRS DEPARTURE LIBING HELIPAD BY ROAD
1200 HRS ARRIVAL RAJ BHAWAN
1230 HRS LUNCH
1430 HRS DEPARTURE RAJ BHAWAN
1505 HRS LINGDUM MONASTERY
1505 HRS To 1535 HRS VISIT TO LINGDUM MONASTERY
1535 HRS DEPARTURE LINGDUM MONASTERY
1540 HRS ARRIVAL CULTURAL VILLAGE
1540 HRS To 1620 HRS VISIT CULTURAL VILLAGE
1620 HRS DEPARTURE CULTURAL VILLAGE
1630 HRS ARRIVAL BAN JHAKRI FALLS
1630 HRS To 1650 HRS VISIT BAN JHAKRI FALLS
1650 HRS DEPARTURE BAN JHAKRI FALLS
1710 HRS ARRIVAL RAJ BHAWAN
1930 HRS DINNER HOSTED BY H.E. THE GOVERNOR OF SIKKIM
STAY AT RAJ BHAWAN.


29.10.2009 (Thursday)


1000 HRS DEPARTURE RAJ BHAWAN
1025 HRS ARRIVAL SIKKIM ORCHID LTD., ASSAM LINZEY
1025 HRS To 050 HRS VISIT ORCHID FARM
1050 HRS DEPARTURE SIKKIM ORCHID LTD ASSAM LINZEY
1115 HRS ARRIVAL RAJ BHAWAN
1115 HRS To 1140 HRS RESERVED
1140 HRS DEPARTURE RAJ BHAWAN
1145 HRS ARRIVAL CHINTAN BHAWAN, GANGTOK
1145 HRS To 1245 HRS INAUGURATE SEMINAR ON “RIGHT TO EDUCATION
WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SIKKIM AND ITS
IMPACT ON LEGAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN”
1245 HRS To 1345 HRS LUNCH HOSTED BY CHIEF JUSTICE AT
CHINTAN BHAWAN
1345 HRS DEPARTURE CHINTAN BHAWAN, GANGTOK
1350 HRS ARRIVAL RAJ BHAWAN
1350 HRS
To RESERVED
1640 HRS
1640 HRS DEPARTURE RAJ BHAVAN
1650 HRS ARRIVAL NAMGYAL INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGY
1650 HRS VISIT TO THE MUSEUM AND RELEASE OF DVDs
AUDIO ON MONASTIC CHANTS
To VIDEO ON MONASTIC MASK DANCE.
1720 HRS
1725 HRS DEPARTURE NAMGYAL INSTITUTE OF TIBETOLOGY
1735 HRS ARRIVAL TASHI NAMGYAL ACADEMY
1735 HRS
To CULTURAL PROGRAMME
1815 HRS
1815 HRS DEPARTURE TASHI NAMGYAL ACAMEMY
1820 HRS ARRIVAL RAJ BHAWAN
1820 HRS
To RESERVED
1925 HRS
1925 HRS DEPARTURE RAJ BHAWAN
1930 HRS ARRIVAL SAMMAN BHAVAN
1930 HRS DINNER HOSTED BY CHIEF MINISTER AT
SAMMAN BHAVAN
DEPARTURE AS CONVENIENT FOR RAJ BHAWAN


30.10.09 (Friday)


1020 HRS DEPARTURE RAJ BHAWAN BY ROAD

1015 HRS ARRIVAL RANGPO MINING GROUND
1115 HRS
To LAY THE FOUNDATION STONE FOR RAIL LINK
BETWEEN RANGPO AND SEVOK
1200 HRS
1200 HRS DEPARTURE RANGPO MINING GROUND
1220 HRS ARRIVAL BALUTAR NHPC HELIPAD
1220 HRS DEPARTURE BALUTAR NHPC HELIPAD BY IAF HELICOPTER
1255 HRS ARRIVAL BAGDOGRA AIRPORT
1255 HRS To 1305 HRS FAREWELL AND TRANGSIT (HELICOPTER TO AIRCRAFT)
1305 HRS DEPARTURE BAGDOGRA AIRPORT BY IAF SPL AIRCRAFT BBJ (LUNCH ON BOARD)
1455 HRS ARRVIAL DELHI AIRPORT
1100 HRS DEPARTURE BAGDOGRA AIRPORT IAF PLANE
1310 HRS ARRIVAL DELHI AIRPORT


(Source: Information & Public Relations Dept, Govt. of Sikkim)

Vice-President of India to arrive in Gangtok tomorrow

Gangtok,October27: Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari will be arriving here on Wednesday for a three day visit to Sikkim. The Vice President will fly from New Delhi to Bagdogra in an Indian Air Force plane and then fly by chopper to the Libing helipad at Gangtok in an IAF chopper on October 28. He will be received by the Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling and senior officials of the State Government including Chief Justice and the judges of the Sikkim High Court and Chief Secretary. A guard of honour will be presented at the helipad by the army after the Vice President’s arrival. Ansari will be staying at the Raj Bhavan here. Upon his arrival, he is scheduled to visit Lingdum Monastery near Ranka, some 15 kms away from the Capital and is expected to visit the cultural village coming up there

India plans rail link to Sikkim to counter China

Gangtok,October27: India has decided to connect Sikkim with the rest of the country through a railway line in the face of massive infrastructure development by China along the borders in the North-East.

The railways will soon start construction of a 52.7-km stretch connecting Sevoke in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to lay the foundation stone for the project on October 30 at Rangpo. Vice-President Hamid Ansari will also accompany her.

The railway line has been declared a national project and trains are expected to run on it by 2015-16. A survey of the stretch is underway.

The Sevoke-Rangpo link is crucial as it will put Sikkim on the country's rail map. The larger plan is to eventually connect Sikkim's capital Gangtok with the country's railway network. This will be done by extending the line till Rangpo to Gangtok.

Gangtok prepare to Welcome Vice-President of India.