Page 5 - Sikkim

Assembly elections: Schedule for Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal, Sikkim

Election Commission announces dates for state Assemblies which will be conducted alongside the Lok Sabha poll, from April 19

Sikkim Democratic Front announces six candidates for Assembly polls

The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) on Monday announced its candidates for six assembly seats, days before the announcement of the election schedule, officials said. Former chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling will be contesting from Namchi-Singhithang in a bid to secure a record ninth term as a legislator, they said. For the three seats in Mangan district, the SDF has nominated former minister Hissey Lachungpa for Lachen-Mangan (BL-Reserved) constituency, while Gnawong Chopel Lepcha and Sonam Gyatso Lepcha will contest from Kabi-Lungchok (BL-Reserved) and Dzongu (BL-Reserved) seats, respectively. Lachungpa recently completed two terms as a Rajya Sabha MP, they said. In Gangtok district, the main opposition party has nominated Ashish Rai for Arithang seat. Rai had previously contested as an independent in 2019 after being denied a ticket by the SDF but has now returned to the party. Norzang Lepcha has been named as the SDF nominee for the Tumin Lingee (BL-Reserved) assembly seat. BL

Sikkim govt to create fixed deposits of Rs 10,800 in name of newborns

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang on Monday announced a new scheme under which the government will make a fixed deposit of Rs 10,800 in the name of a newborn. Addressing the 'Jan Bharosa Sammelan' in Soreng district, Tamang announced the 'Sikkim Sishu Samriddhi Yojana' ahead of the assembly elections in the state. He said the fixed deposit will mature and the money can be withdrawn when the child turns 18. The Himalayan state has the lowest population in the country at 6.10 lakh, according to the 2011 census. Tamang's government has been taking a slew of measures to encourage couples to have more babies to fend off concerns over the aging population. Among these are additional increments for government employees having two or three children, maternity leaves of one year for female government employees, and financial grants for non-working mothers. "The low fertility rate among the local indigenous population is a matter of serious concern in Sikkim... We must do everything i

PM to virtually lay foundation for Sikkim's first railway station on Monday

PM Modi will lay the foundation for almost 550 Amrit railway stations on February 26

Several strategic roads in Sikkim blocked due to heavy snowfall: BRO

Several strategically important roads in North and East Sikkim are blocked due to heavy snowfall, the Border Road Organisation (BRO) said in a statement on Thursday. Strategically important roads along Lachung and Lachen axis and the national highway to Nathu La and Tamze have experienced exceptionally heavy snowfall causing disruption of socio-economic activities and posing a challenge to all road users. "Due to disturbance from western Himalayan region, the weather in Sikkim has taken a swift turn because of which Northern and Eastern part of Sikkim is experiencing heavy snowfall," it said.. Further, post devastating flash floods in Sikkim, the lines of communication, leading to North Sikkim, especially to Lachen Valley have suffered extensive damage, the BRO said, adding it had restored connectivity for the armed forces deployed along Lachen Valley via Donkyala pass, located at 18,200 feet. Following an unprecedented heavy snowfall, a team of 758 BRTF under Project Swastik of ..

NBCC bags Rs 560 cr contract to construct permanent campus of NIT, Sikkim

State-owned NBCC on Tuesday said it has bagged a contract worth Rs 560 crore to construct a permanent campus of the National Institute of Technology, Sikkim. In a regulatory filing, NBCC informed that it has bagged a contract for the construction of the permanent campus of NIT Sikkim at Dung dung Khamdong, Gangtok, Sikkim. The size of the contract is Rs 560 crore. NBCC is mainly into project management consultancy (PMC) and real estate.

Sikkim achieved extensive financial inclusion covering remote villages: FM

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday lauded the Sikkim government for helping the Himalayan state achieve extensive financial inclusion, covering remote villages and habitats. She also congratulated banks and other financial institutions for the success story in Sikkim. "Sikkim has done extremely well to set up bank branches and ATM kiosks in all six districts, covering remote villages and habitats to make the mission of financial inclusion a great success," Sitharaman said at a credit outreach programme here. The minister said there are 32 bank branches and 36 ATMs in Sikkim per one lakh population in comparison to the national average of 14. "The state capital Gangtok alone has 43 bank branches and 58 ATMs per one lakh population," she said, adding that women and youth are the biggest beneficiaries of financial inclusion in Sikkim. Sitharaman also handed certificate of loans worth Rs 402 crore to 3,828 beneficiaries under various central schemes, noting that the

Indian Army rescues over 1,200 stranded tourists in eastern Sikkim

The Indian Army has rescued 1,217 tourists stranded in high-altitude areas in eastern Sikkim due to snowfall and inclement weather, officials said on Thursday. The rescue mission was conducted by the Trishakti Corps of the army, and the tourists were moved to safer areas and provided with shelter, warm clothing, medical aid and hot meals, they said. The rescue and relief operation by the army, which commenced on December 13 continued till early morning hours of December 14. A total of 1,217 tourists were evacuated from the forward areas of East Sikkim to an army transit facility, an official said. The army in concert with civil administration ensured that all tourists were evacuated back to Gangtok despite the sleet on the roads, which presented a challenge to the entire rescue effort, he said. Soldiers had even vacated their barracks to enable the accommodation of the stranded tourists, the officials added.

Indian Army rescues over 1,200 stranded tourists in Sikkim due to snowfall

The Indian Army has rescued 1,217 tourists stranded in high-altitude areas in eastern Sikkim due to snowfall and inclement weather, officials said on Thursday. The rescue mission by the Trishakti Corps of the army continued till late in the night on Wednesday, as the tourists were moved to safer areas and provided with shelter, warm clothing, medical aid and hot meals, they said. Arrangements are being made for their return to state capital Gangtok, the officials said. Soldiers even vacated their barracks to enable the accommodation of the stranded tourists, they added.

77 people who went missing in Sikkim flash flood presumed dead: Chief secy

The 77 people who went missing in the flash flood in Sikkim have been presumed dead as they could not be found even after two months of the disaster, Chief Secretary VB Pathak said on Saturday. To help their families get various kinds of benefits, including ex-gratia, it has been decided to follow the procedure adopted during natural disasters in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, and settle the matter, he told reporters. A total of 77 people went missing in the flash flood that struck the state on October 4. Two bodies were later found, but their identities could not be ascertained, he said. The state government is providing ex-gratia assistance of Rs 4 lakh, while Rs 2 lakh is being provided from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund. "We have decided to adopt the procedures followed in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to settle the matter of missing persons," Pathak said. The families will be able to avail of the benefits only after the issuance of the death certificates, he said. "

Tourists to be allowed to visit Sikkim from Friday after Oct flash flood

The popular north Sikkim tourist destination, Lachung, which was affected by flash floods in early October, has been made accessible after the restoration of road, an official said on Thursday. The tourist spot will be open for visitors from Friday, he said. "Lachung is now accessible after successful completion of road restoration efforts. The scenic destination can be reached through an alternative route via Dzongu-Shipgyer and will be open for tourists from December 1," Tourism and Civil Aviation Department Secretary Prakash Chettri said. Extending a warm welcome to all tourists intending to visit Lachung-Yumthang in the northern part of Sikkim, he said that the alternative route, via Dzongu-Shipgyer, will have an additional 16-17 km to reach Lachung. He, however, said the Lachen-Gurudongmar point would remain closed until further notice as restoration work in the region was underway in the aftermath of the flash floods. The decision to allow tourists to visit Lachung comes nea

Except for extreme northern parts, all other destinations open: Sikkim govt

The Sikkim government has said that all popular destinations in the Himalayan state are open for tourists, except for extreme parts of North Sikkim. Sikkim government's Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Additional Secretary, Bandana Chettri said that all the regions of the state under different districts, namely Gangtok, Namchi, Soreng, Pakyong and Gyalshing are safe to visit and the weather conditions in these areas are very soothing in this festive season. "Except for the extreme Northern part of Sikkim which is not accessible, all other destinations of the state are open for tourists and there is no untoward situation as the impact of flood in Teesta has since normalised," said an advisory on Monday. She urged tourists to visit the Himalayan state, which is known for its pristine natural beauty. The Himalayan state was hit by a flash flood in the Teesta river, triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of October 4 in which 40 people were killed. Over a million tourists

Statsguru: Sikkim floods turn the attention back on extreme weather events

About 100 instances of floods were reported during 2000-09 in India and 74 during 2010-19, according to EM-DAT, a database on international disasters

Sikkim floods: Army, BRO continue efforts to reconnect North Sikkim

Areas of North Sikkim ahead of Mangan have remained cut off since October 4. As an immediate response, foot bridges and zip lines were constructed at Chungthang and Sanklang-Mangan Crossing

Sikkim CM visits flood-ravaged Chungthang, takes stock of relief effort

The Chief Minister assessed the extent of destruction caused by the washing away of the Teesta Stage III dam and the flood at the Teesta basin, said officials

Sikkim flood: Part of NH-10 highway restored for 4-wheeler movement

Over two weeks after parts of Sikkim were devastated by a flash flood, the authorities have opened the damaged National Highway 10 for one-way movement for four-wheelers, according to a government notification on Saturday. People now can use NH-10, considered the lifeline for the state, to drive between Sikkim's capital Gangtok and Siliguri in West Bengal for 12 hours from 6 am. The transport department notification also provided two routes for heavy vehicles to move between these two places, avoiding the NH-10. The government has taken several measures so that prices of essential commodities such as food items and medicines do not escalate, as the suggested routes are longer than the ones used to be taken earlier, the notification said. The flash flood in the Teesta river that hit the Himalayan state in the wee hours of October 4 left at least 78 people dead in Sikkim and northern West Bengal. In its 7 pm bulletin on Saturday, the Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA

Sikkim CM Tamang gives Rs 20,000 cheque to drivers of tourist vehicles

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang handed over Rs 20,000 cheque to drivers of tourist vehicles who were stranded in North Sikkim during the flash flood which hit the Himalayan state. Over 223 tourist vehicle drivers were stranded in Lachen, Lachung and Chungthang as the road connectivity to Mangan district in the northern part of the state was cut off due to the Testa river flash flood on October 4. Distributing the cheques to the drivers of tourist vehicles on Friday, the CM hoped that the relief provided by the state government would help mitigate the hardships faced by the drivers during this difficult time. Tamang said a donation of Rs 2 crore has been received by the Sikkim Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) from Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu. He thanked Khandu and Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma for their support during this challenging time. The Sikkim CM thanked several individuals and organisations which came forward and contributed to the Chief Minister's

High-level committee to examine Teesta Stage III dam breach: Sikkim CM

The Sikkim government has decided to form a high-level committee to examine the Teesta Stage III dam breach which was triggered by a sudden cloud bust and flash flood on October 4 at Chungthan in Mangan district, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang said. The state cabinet meeting held on October 17 decided to form a high-level committee comprising technical experts, financial experts and subject experts to examine the allotment process of Teesta Stage III, 1,200 MW project keeping in view the credibility, genuineness and technical know-how, financial solvency, of the consortium which was building the dam, he said. "To address the gravity of the situation and ensure accountability, the Cabinet has directed... to form a high-level committee comprising technical experts, financial experts, and other relevant subject experts," Tamang said in a Facebook post. The committee will examine the change in DPR before the allotment of the project vis-a-vis technical and financial aspects. It will

Sikkim floods: IRDAI asks insurers to ensure quick settlement of claims

Regulator Irdai on Wednesday said it has asked general insurers and standalone health insurance companies to ensure expeditious settlement of claims arising out of the havoc caused by the floods in Sikkim. The flash floods in the Teesta river, triggered by a cloudburst in the early hours of October 4, caused widespread devastation and 40 people were killed. Insurers have been asked to mobilise all resources to ensure immediate service response, including engaging the services of surveyors, loss adjustors and investigators, for "quick settlement of claims arising out of the havoc created by the floods", Irdai said in a release. "Insurers are advised to respond/assist the claimants through their 24x7 helplines, special claims desks at district level with delegated Claims Settlement Authorities for speedy processing and settlement of claims," Irdai said. Further, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) said insurers have been advised to settle claim payments/on

NHPC suffered expected loss of Rs 233.56 cr due to flash floods in Sikkim

State-run hydro power giant NHPC on Wednesday said it suffered an expected loss of Rs 233.56 crore due to flash floods in its Teesta-VI hydro power project in Sikkim. The project was affected due to flash floods in Teesta basin on October 4, 2023. "Teesta-VI Hydro Electric Project, Sikkim (500 MW) being executed by Lanco Teesta Hydro Power Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NHPC Ltd, which was affected due to flash flood in Teesta Basin on October 4, 2023," the company said in a regulatory filing. The expected quantum of loss/ damage caused due to the natural calamity/ other force majeure events is Rs 233.56 crore approximately, it said. The company further said that all assets/ works of Teesta-VI HE project are insured under the Construction All Risk (CAR) Policy, subject to excess clause and loss limit. Insurance amount claimed and realised by the listed entity for the loss/ damage is "Nil" (as on date), it informed. However, it said that the formal claim shall be lodged and amo