Chief Minister attends 55^th National Development Council

Meeting- presents Sikkim’s success stories on various fronts 

Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi   The Chief Minister, Shri Pawan Chamling attended the National Development Council Meeting at Vigyan Bhawan here on July 24, 2010. The meeting was chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and was attended by the Union Ministers, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Chief Ministers of  Indian States, Chief Secretaries and senior officials.

Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister in his concluding remarks expressed satisfaction that the Country have done well in the last three years and hoped that the weaknesses in the remaining two years would be corrected. The suggestions of some of the Chief Ministers that the NDC should prepare action taken reports on the points discussed in the current meeting for circulation to all the States so that when they come next time they would know the status on each item proposed and discussed with them. The importance of agriculture production increased with adopted of new technologies and private sector involvement was necessary with intra-state movement of agricultural commodities. The leakages as seen in the food sector would be plucked. The Prime Minister further announced the formation of a Sub-Committee under the Chairmanship, Minister of Urban Development Housing as suggested by some of the Chief Ministers on Urbanization to submit its report within twelve months. The development of selected backward district to fight against extremism would be another area where the Government of India would be working. Similarly, scarce water resource proper management policy would also be devised. The Prime Minister emphasized the need to be more focused the transmission and distribution losses by the State in the Power Sector where he would have preferred suggestions from the States. At the end, the Prime Minister applauded that the country was the most successful multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-democracy in the world and the fight against poverty, ignorance and disease would continued till these are removed. 

The Chief Minister, Shri Pawan Chamling, while addressing the Meeting expressed that the  Council meeting provides an opportunity to reflect on not only pressing issues facing the nation but also on how Governance of the nation and the States have progressed over time.

Highlighting Sikkim’s development saga, the Chief Minister said that Sikkim’s story is a happy one doing well even on the happiness index. However, the question that arises is ‘How does the National Development Agenda and Policy, incentivize States that are firmly on the path to progress even meeting all the Millennium Development Goals?, the Chief Minister shared.  

Coming to the specific agenda items for the day, the Chief Minister presented before the meeting some of the unprecedented measures introduced by the Sikkim Government to tackle the multiple issues over the decades.

Talking about Agriculture sector, the Chief Minister said that Sikkim has been to attract more and more educated and young Sikkimese to take up agriculture, horticulture and floriculture as an industry the goal of making our State a total organic state by 2015. 

Talking on another agenda item- Managing India’s water resources, the Chief Minister told the meeting that the Government has introduced a large number of measures to conserve the Himalayan eco-system. The State Government is also initiating certain innovative measures at a very local level including water harvesting, roof water harvesting, spring-shed development program and evolve Village Spring Atlas to ensure recharging and sustainable management of water resources, he said. 

Talking about problems in achieving power generation targets, the Chief Minister shared tjat the State Government has taken a bold initiative to judiciously harness hydel resource potential of over 8000 MW. Apart from the installed capacity of 610 MW of hydel energy, the State Government has also 21 hydel power projects which have been entrusted for execution on joint venture with a combined installed generation capacity of over 5000 MW.  

Talking on Issues pertaining to Urbanization, Shri Chamling said that Gangtok is already a premier city and that the State has carried out an in depth study about the growth potential of urban infrastructure in the State with the involvement of Surbana Consultancy Firm from Singapore. One of the effective answers to the growing trend of rural-urban migration will be creation of all urban facilities at the village level, locating or re-locating public amenities in a planned manner, he suggested.

Talking about the next agenda, the Chief Minister said that as a welfare State, Sikkim presents the best semblance of socio-economic equity to guarantee to all sections of population access to all fundamental rights, economic opportunities and provide to them decent living standard. Interest of SC, ST, OBC and weaker sections of society is safeguarded through various socially relevant measures.

The Chief Minister also updated the gathering on the flagship programs, their status and highlight issues related thereto including, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS)., Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP), Total Sanitation Programme (TSC), Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDM), Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM)Technology Mission for Horticulture in the North East, Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) and Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme, also highlighting the large number of awards already received by the State for its performance like bagging the most recent 2nd position for its excellent record under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

The Chief Minister also congratulated the Hon’ble Prime Minister for his leadership, consistency and commitment to put the Indian economy on a path of faster and inclusive growth is laudable and opined that the forward looking and performing States should be further incentivized to help in the overall National effort.

Click here Presentation by Chief Minister of Sikkim