Monday, November 18, 2013

“Those spoilt for choice are not allowed to oppress those who cannot make two ends meet” Intro: The valedictory function of the door to door exercise of the SDF party in the West district was held on 28 June 2011 in the presence of Ministers, MLAs and the people. The SDF party president, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling addressed the gathering. At the outset, he paid tribute to the late Pem Dorjee Bhutia, who was with the party right since its formation. He said that once a person becomes a member of the party, he becomes family. “We have always tried to help our friends in the party. You must also help each other,” he said. Shedding light on the door to door exercise in the West district to spread the 16 point mission, he said:

CM Speaks:-
I am going to speak on my dreams for tomorrow with my focus on tomorrow’s Sikkim. We will try to fulfill all the suggestions placed by the people during this interactive exercise.
It is the work of the enemies of the people to take advantage of the weaknesses of the people. They try to keep themselves alive by spreading false propagandas. But such people will perish the day people understand the truth and start to debate and discuss with them. The people must retaliate and debate with them.
I have come here for you and not for myself. I am a leader who gets restless thinking as to how to transform your sufferings into happiness. The issues I am raising are the issues raised by a responsible leader. They are not propagandas. There is a lot of difference in yesterday’s Sikkim and today’s Sikkim. It is said that actions speak louder than words. The work we have done in Sikkim speaks for us. Let’s decide on what else we have to do now onwards.
This world runs on love. I am a Chief Minister like many others but I am different from the rest because I love you a lot. Our Government has introduced loans for industries and agriculture. We have opened an Apex Co-operative Bank for this purpose. We also provide loans through SABCO and Sikkim Bank. But the loan has to be repaid after you start earning.
Now people must be conscious and awakened. All the work should be done well whether it is roads, electricity or contract work. Recently a young boy died of electrocution. He died because the Department and the contractor did not do the work properly. Those who do injustice will keep taking birth as long as people tolerate injustice. People must not tolerate injustice. People must oppose if work is not done properly. The youth must also think about Sikkim and not only about themselves. The youth must react if the quality of work is compromised. People must not tolerate.
There is information that the Muster Roll employees working for many years in the Forest Department in West district have not received their salaries for a long time. If these employees do not receive their salaries by the 10th of the coming month, they must gherao the officer. I know how much sufferings the poor have. It is difficult for the poor to make the two ends meet while the rich are spoilt for choice. What is this disparity? These rich people are really dominating the poor. Now we must not accept this. Money is there but where does it go? It is not done when the poor suffer in the Government of the poor. Now we must not be dominated.
I request the people and the party workers to ensure that the saplings we plant survive. Now the party will also start plantation and protection of plants. The rich leave behind hefty bank balance for their children. We, the poor must leave behind saplings for our children. Tomorrow the saplings will grow into tress and become like bank balance.
We must not enrol people from outside in the voters list. They take our rights. We all must be careful not to let this happen.
An issue has been raised that the party workers must reflect and contemplate on the party’s programme. This is a good issue that came up in the interactive session in the West district. I request all party workers to read the party literature and the party’s guiding philosophy. You must understand the principles of the party and remain firm. We must make this party the protective shield for the people of Sikkim. Ministers, MLAs, office bearers, everyone must be used for the party. To be used for the party means to be used for the people. The weakness of our party is that our party workers are using the party for themselves and not using themselves for the party. We must be able to dwell in peoples’ heart by being of use to the party and the people.
We are now doing the repairs of roads. The work should be done properly. All the work in Sikkim is our work and not of the contractor or the engineer. I always say that the quality of work should not be compromised under any circumstances. We will take action for poor quality of work. We want work. Let’s not compromise on public interest at any cost.
We will complete the bridge at Dethang. We will also do the carpeting of the road. We have received a grievance that people face harassment for Domicile, Employment Card etc. From the Chief Minister to the Chief Secretary, from peon to chowkidar, everyone is here to work for the people. People must not tolerate if somebody is not doing his work. People must react if their work is not done. People will keep experiencing harassment in offices if they keep tolerating. You must not tolerate. Some people will sell Sikkim if it falls into the wrong hands.
We have issued an order that old age pension should be disbursed by the 10th of every month. If an officer does not comply, then we must take all the senior citizens to him. People must remain vigilant if employees harass them when executing Government schemes. The party must translate my words into actions.
We might face problems for two or three years with regard to organic farming. After that Sikkim will become a fully organic State. Our products will fetch good prices. The status of our farmers will improve and agriculture will be transformed into a lucrative business. There is no other organic State in our country. Our products will enjoy monopoly in the national market. We want to create professions that will give monopoly to the Sikkimese people. We have tried to take floriculture and horticulture in this direction. We will be successful in this by 2013. After this we can start organic tourism. We must think of agriculture as an industry.
Now on the basis of power decentralisation, we will deduct money from the source and from the budget and send it in the Panchayat. Panchayats can be rest assured. We have started the Land Bank Scheme to construct houses for the poor bonafide Sikkimese. But the sad part is that the money kept aside for this Scheme comes back. Party workers and Panchayats must be active and look into this.
I also request you on the issue of party membership. It is because of your support and participation that the party becomes stronger. Stronger party means stronger Sikkimese people. So you must take the party membership with pride. You must renew and renovate. This party is running on the leadership of a principled leader who honours his word. That is why you must become a member of this great party.
We have done almost everything in the last 17 years being in the Government. We earmarked 70 percent of the budget for rural development. We have given basic facilities to the people. We will make houses for the homeless in the next three years. Local materials should be used in construction of the houses. We will also carry out major repairs of damaged houses. We will make Sikkim a kutcha-house free State in the next three years. Every village will have road, electricity and water. But people should be able to earn al livelihood and they must decide what kind of livelihood they want to take up.
Education is the best medium for freedom from poverty. That is why we have given utmost priority to education. We have done a lot for higher education. But only education is not enough to survive in today’s world. We have to be skilled and capable as well. We want our children to be skilled, educated and capable. It is difficult to survive in this world if we are not self-reliant. That is why we have a programme to make our students capable and skilled. We must be independent. We must become our own masters. There is no alternative to merit in this world. We can be ahead of even Japan and Singapore if we are self-reliant. This is a big dream for which we have to work hard. We must understand education in a broad sense. Sikkim is of the Sikkimese. Sikkim is yours. That is why you should be capable to take the responsibility of Sikkim. All the opportunities in Sikkim are yours. The future of Sikkim is also yours. The youth must not stay idle. They must engage in Sikkim Nirman. Our office bearers of the party must not mislead the youth. You must give appropriate suggestion to everyone.
Our mothers and fathers who do not know how to read or write must become literate at the earliest. We have started the Total Literacy Campaign. Students must help in this campaign.
I will not allow the dreams of Sikkimese people to die. I am a leader who protects your dreams. We will give loan for education. Only the children of the poor will get education loan. SDF party favours the poor and teaches a lesson to those who dominate the poor.
The children of the poor study in ICDS Centres. We provide nutritious meals to such children. But there are people who eye the meals of these children. You should not do that. We are distributing sweaters from the party to the children who come to ICDS Centres. We are trying to increase the salaries of the teachers and ASHA workers of ICDS Centres from coming April. We have started the Annual Health Check up programme to ensure people do not fall ill. The Government is bearing the expenses of treatment for people who are extremely ill.
The party must pay attention to the things that are in a mess. Work is sanctioned for the people and not for the personal gain of the contractor.
Our youth must now become servants but masters. They should be job providers and not job seekers. The Sikkimese youth are born to be masters. That is why we need to change our professions. We also need to change our mindset according to the time. We have brought opportunities like that of Japan and Singapore to Sikkim. The youth have to come forward to avail of these opportunities.
The SDF Government has done a lot in the tourism sector as well. Agriculture is the number one industry in the world followed by tourism. We have given importance to both these industries in the process of their development. We have already done a lot in eco-tourism, heritage tourism and spiritual tourism. We want to develop tourism as a sustainable profession. Tourist attractions like the statue of Chen Rezi, Bhanu Bhakta Study Centre, bird sanctuary, Shirijunga Study Centre will lead to increase in tourism in West Sikkim.
We have made the Chaar Dhaam and the Shirdi Sai temple. We have made the statue of Guru Padmasambhava. We have made the Buddha Park in Ravangla. Siddhi Vinayak temple is being constructed in Rhenock. There is Thakurbari in Gangtok. in this way we have done a lot of work in spiritual tourism.
We have an ambitious plan to construct a skywalk in Bhaley Dhunga in South Sikkim. We must now make tourism a new profession.
The history of industrialisation is 220 years old. In India, industrialisation started only from 1956. SDF started the process of industrialisation in Sikkim only ten years ago. Now there are many industries in Sikkim. But all the work should be done by our people. We brought hydel power projects for the people of Sikkim. Sikkim will become richer from the income earned from these projects. They are for the Sikkimese community. We are the ones to bring hydel projects in Sikkim. We will certainly be remembered in the future for the work we have done.
We have signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the condition that our people must get jobs in all industries and factories. If somebody does not comply with this condition, then we must not accept it. We must immediately retaliate and fight for our rights.
We have done a lot for the environment too. India is distributing 1900 crore on the basis of carbon rating and the good news is that Sikkim is the first State that is entitled. The other States come later. The real home of mankind is jungles. Mankind will perish the day jungles will disappear from the planet. To save the forests is to save mankind. Had all the countries of the world worked to save the forests like us, there would have been no fear of green house effect. We have done that.
The model that we have created through our work has created resources that will last for one hundred years and will create opportunities for the youth that will last a hundred years. The youth must enhance their capabilities and use these opportunities. We have guaranteed a safe future of the Sikkimese people. SDF party and SDF Government has done this. Now it is the job of the Sikkimese people to protect it. We are working to ensure independence in the financial sector. The per capita income of Sikkim will be Rs. 1 lakh by 2015. But it is necessary for everyone to work. We will make Sikkim a poverty-free State by 2015. But people should be independent not only financially but mentally as well. They must be physically healthy. Sikkimese people must be independent mentally and physically healthy. We cannot be poverty-free unless we are free from mental poverty.
We are the third generation in education and the first generation in business. That is why we are facing difficulties. We must be able to change our third world mindset. We must be able to migrate from old thoughts to new thoughts, old professions to new age professions. We must be able to come to the forefront in the world that runs on knowledge.
Sikkimese should get jobs in all industries, banks and educational institutes in Sikkim. Outsiders should not get the jobs. Our people should get jobs in Universities. According to the Employment Exchange Compulsory Vacancy Act, 1959, Sikkim Subject holders should get the job. Establishment Rule 4/4 should be enforced in other institutes. Every Sikkimese should buckle up. The youth must be the protectors of Sikkim. We want to make Sikkimese people their masters.
Some people are making a lot of noise regarding Residential Certificate. Once Residential Certificates are issued, influx will be reduced. Those residing here will be protected. That way Sikkim will belong to the Sikkimese even after 100 hundred years. Sikkim will be in the hands of the Sikkimese.
Similarly, Pink Card will be given to those who have Sikkim Subjects and hold ancestral land. We thought of issuing Pink Cards to avoid misuse of Sikkim Subject. We have been exempted from Income Tax. The idea of Pink Card is to prevent misuse of Income Tax exemption. We have been granted Income Tax exemption on the basis of Sikkim Subject. The Sikkim Subject was actually repealed in 1975 but we revived it. It has been 17 years since we have been running the Government. We are firm in our stand today the way we were 17 years ago.
The opposition parties are going around saying that Sikkim Subject has been done away with. They had done the same thing in 1997. How can Sikkim Subject be done away with now if it was already done away with in 1997? Our youth must not listen to them. Let’s do debatable politics. They will dominate us as long as we tolerate. We must not believe in lies. Leaders must not talk at random. This means that they take people for granted. A leader must respect the people and do only those things that are appropriate.
We give the highest salaries to our employees. They must do their work with honesty and dedication. It will be anti-people if people suffer because of officers and employees. We should not accept this. We must take our responsibilities and fulfil them honestly. Whoever does not do this is anti-Sikkim. People are the rulers in peoples rule. But people must be able to live with their rights and responsibilities like a king.
We have protected the freedom and trust of the Sikkimese people. The identity of all communities is protected. If anyone goes around talking about caste or community, he is being communal. We all are Sikkimese community. We must move forward with a positive attitude. We want to bring everyone on a common platform. But some regressive people are trying to divide us. You have a Government that gives you respect and equal justice.
We acknowledge the fact that nobody’s upliftment is possible without the upliftment of the poor. That is why our party wants to uplift the poor and uplift Sikkim because without uplifting them we cannot uplift the Sikkimese community and Sikkim. We have a programme to make Sikkim a poverty-free State by 2015.
The day anti-Sikkim people, drug addicts say that Pawan Chamling is good, then you can presume that Pawan Chamling has become bad. But as long as they oppose me, you can safely say that I am with you, I am with the Sikkimese people. We have emerged victorious in all the issues and cases that they have raised. We cannot work for you with one pointed focus as we have to constantly fight such elements. But even then we have done so much for you. We will complete all the missions that we have started. We have been fighting with them for 17 long years. We still have the strength to fight them for another 17 years. We do everything in your interest. Please do not believe those who hoodwink you. Let’s come together and take forward the exercise of making Sikkim like a paradise on earth.
Thank you!

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