Gangtok, May 16 (IPR): The 47th State Day of Sikkim was celebrated at Manan Kendra, Gangtok
The event was graced by the Governor of Sikkim Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang along with other dignitaries.
On their arrival, Governor, Chief Minister, and other dignitaries visited the photo exhibition organized by the IPR Department at the venue. The photographs on display were a combination of vintage photographs of the pre-merger era and photographs of the present-day Sikkim depicting the milestones achieved by the State.
The function in the auditorium began with the offering of floral tribute to the portrait of Padma Vibhushan, Late , L.D. Kazi, the first Chief Minister of Sikkim, also referred to with honour as the father of democracy in Sikkim.
This was followed by the welcome address by the Chief Secretary, Government of Sikkim, S.C. Gupta. He briefly highlighted the journey traversed by the State of Sikkim in the last 47 years after becoming the 22nd State of India.
Students of Modern Senior Secondary School and Deorali Girls Senior Secondary School performed a group song each and lent festivity to the event.
During the Award ceremony that followed, noted Mountaineer and Rock Climber Manita Pradhan was conferred the Sikkim Ratna, the highest civilian award of Sikkim for her extraordinary feat of scaling prominent peaks around the world, and more recently the Mount Everest, the highest mountain peak in the world. Ms. Manita Pradhan has had an illustrious career in the field of mountaineering and has participated in various events of international repute. She has worked as an instructor in various Adventure and Mountaineering Institutions.
Similarly, the prominent filmmaker of Sikkim, Shri Ugyen Chopel was decorated with the Sikkim Sewa Ratna in recognition of his artistic achievements as well as his activism for social and environmental causes.
Ugyen Chopel has been a great exponent in the field of Art and Film Making and a master of his craft, he has been an inspirational figure to the budding filmmakers of the State.
Likewise, Sikkim Sewa Samman was awarded to noted folk musician and dancer Naren Gurung in recognition of his artistic brilliance and for his role in preserving the folk-art form. His proficiency in the field is endorsed by various specializations under his belt which comprise comprehensive research and study in many subjects of Nepali Folk Songs and Folk dance including Lok Parampara and folk tales.
Thereafter, the Governor pinned the Quasquicentennial Medals to two police personnel, namely lady constable Amanna Rai and Lance Naik Bikash Sharma for their outstanding service.
The brochure of the Chief Minister’s Police Medals for Meritorious Service Award was unveiled on the occasion by the Governor and the Chief Minister of Sikkim to formally mark its institutionalization. The Award will be conferred every year on the occasion of the Passing Out Parade of Sikkim Police.
Addressing the function, Governor Ganga Prasad, congratulated the people of Sikkim on completing 47 years as the 22nd State of India. He said that Sikkim has established itself as a highly progressive State of India through path-breaking development initiatives in multiple sectors.
The Governor touched upon the key accomplishments of the Government in the past three years.
He urged all to resolve to give continuity to the development initiatives of the State and contribute towards making Sikkim a self-sufficient State. During his address, the Governor laid great emphasis on empowering the farming community through various incentives and technical support. He lauded the steps being taken in the field of agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry in the State. He also made a mention of the incentives being provided in the dairy sector. The Governor also spoke about the prospects of saffron cultivation in the State of Sikkim.
Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang began his address by extending his State Day greetings to the people of Sikkim. He also offered greetings to the people of Sikkim on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima and the festival of Shyadar Pidar.
The Chief Minister also extended his gratitude to the Prime Minister of India, Union Ministers, and all esteemed dignitaries of the Government of India and Chief Ministers of different States for their State Day greetings to the people of Sikkim.
He offered his gratitude to all the former Governors and the former Chief Ministers of Sikkim for laying the foundation of Sikkim as the 22nd State of India.
The Chief Minister informed that the State Day this year is unique as it is being celebrated from the 16th to the 19th of May, with several activities being organised at MG Marg Gangtok. The events will culminate in a grand State Day function in New Delhi on the 19th of May, he informed. He further stated that the State Day celebrations are being aligned with the ongoing ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
Chief Minister said that the Government of India is preparing a vision document for the year 2047 when the country will celebrate its 100 years of Independence. He urged the people of Sikkim to participate in realizing this vision of the nation. He further said that Sikkim will complete the milestone of 50 years of attaining Statehood in the year 2025.
Furthermore, Chief Minister spelled out the numerous initiatives of the State Government in the past three years to usher in unprecedented development in the State. He further highlighted the programmes and policies in the pipeline.
The Chief Minister also shared some of the awards and accolades received by the State in the past three years. He attributed these accomplishments to the sincere commitment and action of the government employees, public representatives, and the active participation of the people of Sikkim.
The Chief Minister made some key announcements during his address. They are:
- Gyalshing Degree College will be renamed as Sanchaman Limboo Government Degree College, Gyalshing.
- Gelling Senior Secondary School will be renamed as Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Senior Secondary School.
- Government employees working on Ad hoc, contractual and MR basis will be entitled to medical reimbursement on referral cases up to Rs. 2.5 lakhs under Mukhya Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.
- The Government will institutionalize youth-centric programmes called ‘Golden Voice of Sikkim’ and ‘Golden Dancer of Sikkim’ with handsome cash awards.
A short documentary video on ‘Pre-Merger and Post-Merger Sikkim’ prepared by the IPR Department was also screened on the occasion.
The State Day function concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by the Secretary, IPR Department, Siporah G. Targain.