The Hindu : SDF promises better life for Sikkimese

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Sunday, Mar 24, 2002

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SDF promises better life for Sikkimese

By Pratim Ranjan Bose

KOLKATA MARCH 23 . Namchi has never seen anything like this. The hometown of the Sikkim Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling, the hill station was barely able to accommodate the beeline of cars, ferrying several thousand sympathisers, mostly in the age group of 18 to 30, from all across the State to the open session of the `First Decadal Convention' of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), on March 4.

Traffic came to a standstill on the narrow hilly tracks leading to Namchi. And, when the party president, Mr. Chamling, rose to address the gathering at 1 p.m, a larger number of his followers were still on the long march to the venue.

The three-day convention began on March 2, with an aim to review the party's guiding principles and ethics. Besides recounting its "journey to restore democracy" by replacing the Narbahadur Bhandari-led Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP) from power in December, 1994, the convention set into motion a "purification drive of the party cadres at all levels," a SDF communiqué, said.

The closed sessions on March 2 and 3 adopted 23 resolutions "to ensure a better life for the Sikkimese" by way of all-round economic growth and prosperity, alleviation of poverty and economic disparity, empowering women and others.

The current year was declared as "The Implementation Year". Emphasis was given on ensuring "peace and tranquillity" and enforcing a higher degree of "emotional integration" of the people of the 22nd Indian State with the rest of the country.

Considered the most peaceful State (amidst widespread unrest in the whole of the northeast), Sikkim is worried about possible attempts to disturb the peace.

"Intelligence reports suggest that secessionist forces from the State have joined hands with the Maoists in Nepal," Mr. Chamling said. He blamed the Opposition SSP for fuelling such sentiments.

The Government effected decentralisation of power by holding the two-tier panchayat elections, with 33 per cent seats reserved for women, in 1997. It is now planning to hold the municipal elections along with the next panchayat elections in September.

"Beginning 2002-2003 we will spend 10 per cent of the budgetary allocation through panchayats," the Chief Minister said, adding that "it will be stepped up to 30 per cent in the next five years".

The State Planning Commission has already been set up and the economic survey conducted. Sikkim is also the fourth State to bring out a human development report in September 2001.

Lok Adalats have been constituted in all nine subdivisions along with the setting up of atrocity courts, courts for human rights and family courts.

To bring the whole State under the e-governance project, 40 community information centres with 2 MBPS bandwidth connection have been constructed. The centres are expected to be operational soon with hardware and software support from the Union Communications Ministry.

To reach the target of 85 per cent literacy rate during the Tenth Plan (from the existing 69 per cent), education up to college is free and "primary education has been taken up from the door step".

The student population from pre-primary to the higher secondary level has gone up to 1.39 lakh.

Apart from the general higher education facilities, the State Government had recently set up two polytechnics, managed by the Nettur Technical Training Foundation of Bangalore, in South Sikkim.

The Pai Foundation of Manipal has set up one engineering college and a medical college hospital at Rangpo and Gangtok respectively.

But for the natural stress on tourism, which will receive a further boost if the Hyatt Regency group sets up the first five-star hotel and the commercial airport comes up near Gangtok, the State is focussed on creating adequate infrastructure to attract industry.

The maximum stress is on the power sector. With the 60 MW Rangit hydel project already put into operation; the 510 MW Teesta Stage-V is under construction by the NHPC and a number of new projects yet to come up, the State will be a net exporter of power by 2007. "We will earn no less than Rs. 40 crores by selling power'', Mr. Chamling said.

The net State domestic product has grown by 12 per cent annually from a negative growth rate (-2.43 per cent) in 1994-95. The per capita income has gone up from -5.79 per cent to a healthy 7.12 per cent in 1999-2000. And, according to the Chief Minister, the state's financial position which was on the verge of bankruptcy, has also been put on a stronger foundation, free from the burden of huge overdrafts and payment failure.

Sikkim is today on the growth path. But, the State has its problems too. First, in the bureaucracy. Inherited from the monarchical past, only a few bureaucrats are from the Indian Administrative Services.

"Half the bureaucrats are yet to accept the democratic process, resulting in a delay in the implementation of Government policies,'' Mr. Chamling said.

And, when the administration does not work, the Chief Minister pitches in with the needful. "People come straight to the CM's residence even for a polythene sheet or for a grant of Rs. 100!'' Mr. Chamling has also made it a practice to address their problems personally. And, so he did even at Namchi.

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