Tempo Bhutia superannuates after 35 years of service to STCS

Sonam Gyamsto Pulger takes charge as new MD of STCS

GANGTOK, August 11: Tempo Bhutia today bowed out of State Trading Corporation of Sikkim (STCS) after giving 35 years of his life to one of the oldest and high profile public sector undertaking in the State.
Out of these 35 years before his superannuation, Mr. Bhutia had served as the Managing Director (MD) of STCS for around 15 years uninterruptedly, a record in itself in corporate annuals of the State.
Mr. Bhutia joined STCS in 1974 on one year’s probation period and was regularized the following year as the assistant commercial manager. He swiftly rose in the ranks of the STCS due to his hard work and commitment and finally took charge of body as its MD before retiring today at an age of 58 years.
Sonam Gyamtso Pulger, the Chief General Manager of the STCS has taken over as the MD of the undertaking. The handing and taking over of the charge was done today.
The STCS is the trading body of the state government and supplies like hardware, LPG and other goods are supplied through STCS. STCS was set up when Sikkim was a kingdom.
Speaking to media today, Mr. Bhutia said that he had given his best to STCS during his long service of 35 years. “I tried my best. But its human nature that you cannot be satisfied and I could have done better”, he said.
Among his achievements, Mr. Bhutia pointed out that STCS used to have annual turnover of Rs. 5-6 crores earlier. Now the annual turnover now is just below Rs. 100 crores, he said.
However, the best satisfaction Mr. Bhutia drew was that STCS still survives despite problems and attacks. “I feel that it is my big achievement that STCS has survived despite attacks”, he said.
Another glorious chapter in his career was that Mr. Bhutia was made Resident Commissioner of Kolkata for 3 times in the year 1984, 1985 and 1994 – the only corporate individual to do so.
“I am also thankful that the new MD is from within STDC”, said Mr. Bhutia.
Mr. Bhutia is also the president of Sikkim Football association (SFA) which is affiliated to the All India Football federation. He is also an executive member of AIFF.
Speaking on his post retirement life, Mr. Bhutia expressed his commitment to give more time to SFA and a host of other social organizations he is associated with. “I will try to activate the Art of Living Foundation,” he said. He is also the patron of Sikkim Viklang Sahatya Samiti and the vice president of Kalyan Ashram.
“I will fully occupy myself social activities”, said Mr. Bhutia on his post-retirement life. He added that he will also try to activate Civil Defence of which he is the warden of Tadong area.

LPG CRISIS GRIPS SIKKIM

GANGTOK, September 27: The Chief Secretary of Sikkim N.Chingapa held an meeting with Union Petroleum Secretary at New Delhi today where Indian Oil Corporation has been directed to take emergency steps to restore supplies of LPG to Customers .It was also decided that to meet future contingencies, Government of Sikkim would provide land on priority to Public oil sector Companies to enable it to build additional LPG storage capacity in state besides the existing one.

Meanwhile, it hasbeen confirmed that Barauni Refinery has expressed their inability to supply LPG through 8 tons Gas tankers as that would be cost inefficient to sustain supplies despite the road conditions and their breaches on way to Sikkim as per reports.

Severe shortage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has hit thousands of homes in Sikkim.
The heavy rains and floods in Raiganj and Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal has added to the already starved supply of petroleum products and LPG in the State.
Grappling with an acute LPG crisis for the past 15-20 days, some of the people in Sikkim are forced to invade nearby forests.
People who made bookings 15 days back at the State Trading Corporation of Sikkim (STCS) are still awaiting LPG in a never ending queue.
Menla Ethenpa, Manager, STCS admitted the shortage of LPG. He said that the only Indian Oil Corporation Bottling plant at Majitar has LPG supply enough only fro two days.
Moreover, a meeting was held with the police so as to stop distributing LPG on VIP quota and also along the roadside.
Earlier, STCS was receiving 50 trucks of LPG, amounting to 250 LPG cylinders. But in this month it had come down to 15 trucks making it too difficult for them to cope with the demand.
With the LPG shortage not coming to an end, the local residents are growing impatient. A large number of people at 5th Mile who ran short of cooking gas for the past one week decided to take out a procession this morning and stop the truck carrying LPG.
“I had booked a cylinder on September 12, but didn’t get it till today,” said an irate Bikash Chettri. “I had to skip a meal to decrease the use of my old stove with less kerosene around,” said Passangkith, a local housewife.
However, the STCS today managed to distribute 600 nos LPG, out of which 400 were distributed from the STCS complex itself, 100 from Syari Cooperative Society and 100 from 5th Mile, Tadong.
According to the STCS officials, it will take another seven days for Raiganj roads to open.
However, in order to curtail the crisis, the STCS had through the State Chief Secretary written to the Union Petroleum Minister detailing about the crisis.
According to informed sources, owing to the breakage of a bridge at North Dinajpur National Highway, the military has not permitted vehicles carrying above 8 ton, due to which LPG trucks carrying more than 13 tons coming to Sikkim from Beurauni had to be stalled halfway.
In a letter written to the Petroleum Minister dated September 24, the STCS has suggested as well as sought permission to bring LPG via Assam.