17 th March
DALAI LAMA HAS AGREED TO INAUGURATE 'TATHAGATA PRESERVE' ON MARCH 25
GANGTOK:A delegation of senior State government officials led by Member of parliament, Rajya Sabha, Mr. Hishey Lachungpa called on his Holiness the Dalai Lama at his official residence at McLeodanj, Dharmshala in Himachal Pradesh last week to invite him for the inauguration of the Tathagata Preserve at Rabong in South Sikkim in March next year. His Holiness has consented to visit Sikkim from 24 to 28 March and inaugurate on 25 March the Tathagatha Preserve, which comprises of the Lord Buddha Statue and Eco Garden. The delegation led by Mr. Lachungpa to invite his Holiness on behalf of the state government , at the behest of Chief Minister Mr. Powan Chamling , comprised of Ecclesiastical Secretary Mr. T. Gelek, Principal Chief Engineer-cum-Secretary, Public Health Engineering Mr T. B. Rajalim and Chief Engineer Buildings and Housing Department Mr. C. Zangpo.
The newest pilgrimage and tourist attraction also called the Sakyamuni Project during the project construction phase had been given the new name of Tathagata Preserve by his Holiness earlier. He has visited the project site in the past and has also stayed and given teachings there.
Mountaineers want Sikkim’s Everest expedition postponed
GANGTOK, MARCH 14: The Sikkim government sponsored Mt Everest expedition in Nepal has run into a storm with premier tourism and mountaineering associations here demanding the expedition is postponed so all climbers get equal selection opportunity for the ultimate dream of every mountaineers.
Seven mountaineers have been selected by the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Ecotourism (IHCAE) for the Rs. 1.4 crore expedition scheduled to commence from first week of April. The IHCAE is a division under State Tourism department and is based in Chemchey, South district.
While thanking the State government for sending a Sikkim team for Everest expedition, members of Sikkim Mountaineering Association (SMA), Sikkim Amateur Mountaineering Association (SAMA), Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) and Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Association of Adventure Tour that qualified and veteran mountaineers were kept in dark about the selection process and thereby denied their rightful opportunity to be considered by the IHCAE.
“Everest expedition is like Olympics for every mountaineer. While we thank the State government for providing this opportunity, we are very sad to see that experienced and qualified mountaineers were kept in dark about the selection process and denied an opportunity which is being provided by the State government. Even the mountaineering associations here came to know about the expedition recently when the seven members were already selected”, said members of SAMA, SMA, TAAS and SAATO to the media here.
The press conference was addressed by TAAS president Satish Bardewa, TAAS
general secretary Barap Namgyal, SAATO vice president KC Bhutia, SAMA treasurer Sagar Rai, SMA member Tashi Sherpa, Nandu Gurung, Pushpalal Gurung, Nandu Gurung and other stakeholders. The organizations claimed that the IHCAE did not provide an opportunity to all mountaineers to be selected for the Everest expedition and accused its director GT Bhutia of arbitrarily and clandestinely choosing seven mountaineersthree females and four males, one of whom is an IAS officer. We fail to see on what basis where these mountaineers were selected when there are several other climbers with superior qualifications and experience who could have been given an opportunity to be selected, they said.
The organizations argued that a pre-Everest expedition within Sikkim could have been conducted by the organizers to select the best mountaineers available in the State. Instead
of going for a pre-Everest expedition to high altitude peaks, the expedition members
have gone to Dzongri which is a trekking trail, they said.
The IHCAE was also accused of overlooking the concerned organizations like SAMA, SMA, TAAS and SAATO. The expedition could have wonderfully promoted and ensured participation of all stakeholders had the concerned organizations been taken into confidence, the members said.
The four organizations jointly demanded the State government to postpone the Everest expedition till next year. “In the meanwhile, the government can invite an independent body like SGMI and HMI to conduct a selection camp for selecting the best mountaineers for the Everest expedition next summer. It will be gross injustice to all mountaineers here to see that only those selectively chosen by IHCAE go to the Everest expedition this time”, said the
organizations.
GANGTOK, March 14: Six new bridges have been constructed by Roads & Bridges department in recent times in different parts of the State. The bridges are at Singtam, Bungling, Tanak, Dzongu, Ravi khola and Famtham. All of them are in use by the public for the past 5-6 months though the Singtam bridge is yet to be formally inaugurated. The department informed that a request for the formal inauguration of the bridge has been made to the Chief Minister. Though it is yet to be formally inaugurated, the bridge is in use for the public, it was informed.
Bill due to lack of unanimity. The Group of Ministers Cabinet agrees to bring down age of consent to 16 (GoM) set up by the prime minister to resolve differences met Wednesday to thrash out pending issues, and agreed on replacing the word "sexual assault" with "rape" and on reducing the age of consent from 18 years to 16. The government is keen to pass the bill in the first half of budget session which ends March 22. Sources said the government will now decide whether to go to parliament directly with the bill or call an all-party meeting March 18.
GANGTOK, March 14: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today assured a delegation of Sikkim Olympic
Association (SOA) that he would ensure annual grant for the SOA and all other vibrant state associations by making provision in the State budget annually. Interacting with the delegation this morning, Chamling directed the Chief Engineer, Building, who also happens to be the president of Badminton Association of Sikkim to explore possibilities to utilise available land at Fish Pond Area of Paljor Stadium, Gangtok, Pangthang (about 10 acres of land), Sokethang, East Sikkim and Kichudumra, near Namchi in South Sikkim to accommodate SOA Office, Swimming pool, Boxing ring
etc The delegation comprising representatives of 18 affiliated member associations led by its president, P K Pradhan and secretary general HT Basi called on the Chief Minister at Mintokgang this morning to
place a memorandum drawing his attention to resolve the problems being faced by SOA and all the affiliated sports associations of Sikkim Chamling also called upon the state associations to institutionalize all their activities through documentations so that it reaches to one and all in the society. He emphasised upon the development of sports which are conducive to our region, and endorsed the idea of Sikkim Table Tennis Association to hold National level Tournament in Gangtokduring January 2014.
DALAI LAMA HAS AGREED TO INAUGURATE 'TATHAGATA PRESERVE' ON MARCH 25
GANGTOK:A delegation of senior State government officials led by Member of parliament, Rajya Sabha, Mr. Hishey Lachungpa called on his Holiness the Dalai Lama at his official residence at McLeodanj, Dharmshala in Himachal Pradesh last week to invite him for the inauguration of the Tathagata Preserve at Rabong in South Sikkim in March next year. His Holiness has consented to visit Sikkim from 24 to 28 March and inaugurate on 25 March the Tathagatha Preserve, which comprises of the Lord Buddha Statue and Eco Garden. The delegation led by Mr. Lachungpa to invite his Holiness on behalf of the state government , at the behest of Chief Minister Mr. Powan Chamling , comprised of Ecclesiastical Secretary Mr. T. Gelek, Principal Chief Engineer-cum-Secretary, Public Health Engineering Mr T. B. Rajalim and Chief Engineer Buildings and Housing Department Mr. C. Zangpo.
The newest pilgrimage and tourist attraction also called the Sakyamuni Project during the project construction phase had been given the new name of Tathagata Preserve by his Holiness earlier. He has visited the project site in the past and has also stayed and given teachings there.
Mountaineers want Sikkim’s Everest expedition postponed
GANGTOK, MARCH 14: The Sikkim government sponsored Mt Everest expedition in Nepal has run into a storm with premier tourism and mountaineering associations here demanding the expedition is postponed so all climbers get equal selection opportunity for the ultimate dream of every mountaineers.
Seven mountaineers have been selected by the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Ecotourism (IHCAE) for the Rs. 1.4 crore expedition scheduled to commence from first week of April. The IHCAE is a division under State Tourism department and is based in Chemchey, South district.
While thanking the State government for sending a Sikkim team for Everest expedition, members of Sikkim Mountaineering Association (SMA), Sikkim Amateur Mountaineering Association (SAMA), Travel Agents Association of Sikkim (TAAS) and Sikkim Association of Adventure Tour Association of Adventure Tour that qualified and veteran mountaineers were kept in dark about the selection process and thereby denied their rightful opportunity to be considered by the IHCAE.
“Everest expedition is like Olympics for every mountaineer. While we thank the State government for providing this opportunity, we are very sad to see that experienced and qualified mountaineers were kept in dark about the selection process and denied an opportunity which is being provided by the State government. Even the mountaineering associations here came to know about the expedition recently when the seven members were already selected”, said members of SAMA, SMA, TAAS and SAATO to the media here.
The press conference was addressed by TAAS president Satish Bardewa, TAAS
general secretary Barap Namgyal, SAATO vice president KC Bhutia, SAMA treasurer Sagar Rai, SMA member Tashi Sherpa, Nandu Gurung, Pushpalal Gurung, Nandu Gurung and other stakeholders. The organizations claimed that the IHCAE did not provide an opportunity to all mountaineers to be selected for the Everest expedition and accused its director GT Bhutia of arbitrarily and clandestinely choosing seven mountaineersthree females and four males, one of whom is an IAS officer. We fail to see on what basis where these mountaineers were selected when there are several other climbers with superior qualifications and experience who could have been given an opportunity to be selected, they said.
The organizations argued that a pre-Everest expedition within Sikkim could have been conducted by the organizers to select the best mountaineers available in the State. Instead
of going for a pre-Everest expedition to high altitude peaks, the expedition members
have gone to Dzongri which is a trekking trail, they said.
The IHCAE was also accused of overlooking the concerned organizations like SAMA, SMA, TAAS and SAATO. The expedition could have wonderfully promoted and ensured participation of all stakeholders had the concerned organizations been taken into confidence, the members said.
The four organizations jointly demanded the State government to postpone the Everest expedition till next year. “In the meanwhile, the government can invite an independent body like SGMI and HMI to conduct a selection camp for selecting the best mountaineers for the Everest expedition next summer. It will be gross injustice to all mountaineers here to see that only those selectively chosen by IHCAE go to the Everest expedition this time”, said the
organizations.
Six new bridges constructed in State
GANGTOK, March 14: Six new bridges have been constructed by Roads & Bridges department in recent times in different parts of the State. The bridges are at Singtam, Bungling, Tanak, Dzongu, Ravi khola and Famtham. All of them are in use by the public for the past 5-6 months though the Singtam bridge is yet to be formally inaugurated. The department informed that a request for the formal inauguration of the bridge has been made to the Chief Minister. Though it is yet to be formally inaugurated, the bridge is in use for the public, it was informed.
Argentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio elected new Pope
VATICAN CITY, March 14 (IANS): Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina has been elected the Catholic Church's 26 6th Pope. He is first Latin American to be pontiff, and will call himself Francis I. After his election Wednesday night, the 76-yearold Pope appeared on a balcony and greeted crowds in St. Peter's Square, BBC reported. He was the archbishop ofBuenos Aires. He asked the faithful to pray for him. Cheers erupted as he gave a blessing.Earlier, white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney announced the new Pope's election. Crowds in St. Peter's Square cheered and bells rang out as the smoke appeared. Pope Francis replaces Benedict XVI, who resigned Feb 28 at the age of 85, saying he was not strong enough to lead the Church. He is the first Jesuit to become pope. A member of the Jesuits and ordained in 1936 after four years as priest, Bergoglio became head of all the Jesuits in Argentina, Xinhua reported. After studying in Germany, he became bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and archbishop in 1998. A strong supporter of helping the poor, Bergoglio was made cardinal in 2001.
Bad road, shortage of teachers lead to low enrolment at Latuk Primary School
VATICAN CITY, March 14 (IANS): Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Argentina has been elected the Catholic Church's 26 6th Pope. He is first Latin American to be pontiff, and will call himself Francis I. After his election Wednesday night, the 76-yearold Pope appeared on a balcony and greeted crowds in St. Peter's Square, BBC reported. He was the archbishop ofBuenos Aires. He asked the faithful to pray for him. Cheers erupted as he gave a blessing.Earlier, white smoke from the Sistine Chapel chimney announced the new Pope's election. Crowds in St. Peter's Square cheered and bells rang out as the smoke appeared. Pope Francis replaces Benedict XVI, who resigned Feb 28 at the age of 85, saying he was not strong enough to lead the Church. He is the first Jesuit to become pope. A member of the Jesuits and ordained in 1936 after four years as priest, Bergoglio became head of all the Jesuits in Argentina, Xinhua reported. After studying in Germany, he became bishop of Buenos Aires in 1992 and archbishop in 1998. A strong supporter of helping the poor, Bergoglio was made cardinal in 2001.
Bad road, shortage of teachers lead to low enrolment at Latuk Primary School
PAKYONG, March 14: Bad roads without a good bridge leading to a remote Latuk Primary School under Pakyong Sub-division coupled with shortage of teachers has led to abysmally low enrolment over the last several years. There are only 10 students – four girls and six boys – and one staff, taking classes from Class II to IV. Four students Puspanjali Rai, Prajal Rai, Sonam Sherpa and Sudan Baral are students of Class II, Nima Yangzi Sherpa, Tsering Diki Sherpa, Pawan Rai and Regina Rai are of Class III and Tashi Sherpa and Mingma Sherpa are of Class IV. Asked about the low enrolment, the Head Master in-charge, Sunil Sharma had this to say: This is not a new thing. There is always less
students in this school since many years because of sparsely populated area. The other reason could be
the desolation of the school location: wedged between two rivers and forest. Parents also fear to send their wards to school for fear of bad road without a proper bridge. Another factor, as the villagers
put in, is shortage of teachers, who comes in during mid season and pack off after six months.Ward Panchayat Phu Diki Sherpa is also of a similar opinion that the rivers rise during rainy season, disabling
children to cross it without a proper bridge. “If there is proper bridge and good road, then the enrollment would surely rise, she stated.Local guardian Tenzing Sherpa said failure in getting the school upgraded on time has disheartened the parents, and so are the common problem of bridge and road.
Cabinet agrees to bring down age of consent to 16
NEW DELHI, March 14 (IANS): The cabinet Thursday cleared the anti-rape bill by agreeing to replace the word "sexual assault" with "rape" and reducing the age of consent from 18 to 16 years, informed sources said. The sources said the cabinet cleared the bill at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The cabinet had Tuesday deferred a decision on the Criminal Law (Amendment)
Bill due to lack of unanimity. The Group of Ministers Cabinet agrees to bring down age of consent to 16 (GoM) set up by the prime minister to resolve differences met Wednesday to thrash out pending issues, and agreed on replacing the word "sexual assault" with "rape" and on reducing the age of consent from 18 years to 16. The government is keen to pass the bill in the first half of budget session which ends March 22. Sources said the government will now decide whether to go to parliament directly with the bill or call an all-party meeting March 18.
CM assures annual grant to sport associations through budgetary provision
GANGTOK, March 14: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling today assured a delegation of Sikkim Olympic
Association (SOA) that he would ensure annual grant for the SOA and all other vibrant state associations by making provision in the State budget annually. Interacting with the delegation this morning, Chamling directed the Chief Engineer, Building, who also happens to be the president of Badminton Association of Sikkim to explore possibilities to utilise available land at Fish Pond Area of Paljor Stadium, Gangtok, Pangthang (about 10 acres of land), Sokethang, East Sikkim and Kichudumra, near Namchi in South Sikkim to accommodate SOA Office, Swimming pool, Boxing ring
etc The delegation comprising representatives of 18 affiliated member associations led by its president, P K Pradhan and secretary general HT Basi called on the Chief Minister at Mintokgang this morning to
place a memorandum drawing his attention to resolve the problems being faced by SOA and all the affiliated sports associations of Sikkim Chamling also called upon the state associations to institutionalize all their activities through documentations so that it reaches to one and all in the society. He emphasised upon the development of sports which are conducive to our region, and endorsed the idea of Sikkim Table Tennis Association to hold National level Tournament in Gangtokduring January 2014.
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