PRESS RELEASE
Pawan Chamling
embarks on 10-day long Sikkim Vijay Sankalp Rally
Pawan Chamling promises to institute a youth
forum to make youth equal partners in policy making.
Soreng, 29th
March: Pawan Chamling embarked on a 10-day long Sikkim Vijay Sankalp Rally
today, starting with Soreng in West Sikkim. In Chakung ground in Soreng he
addressed a crowd of 15,000, where people from neighbouring constituencies of
West Sikkim joined in. The event was widely streamed and about 3 lakh people
tuned in on social media.
The Sikkim
Democratic Front (SDF) party manifesto for the upcoming elections was launched by
Pawan Chamling, the party president during the event, which he dedicated to the
people of Sikkim. He called it a “futuristic, youth-centric document which
addresses problems of the present and the future”.
Addressing
the public, he said that, “Our policy is youth first. We will institute a Youth
Forum in order to make youth equal partners in policy making.” He further added
that the jobs received under One Family One Job scheme will also be regularised
and that, “our government will launch a scheme ‘One Person, One Profession’
whereby every eligible individual will be helped with a profession”.
He
mentioned a few other key promises from the election manifesto. These included
providing cash assistance of Rs. 60,000 to organic farmers and financially poor
families and provision of agricultural implements of Rs. 40,000, increasing
minimum daily wage to Rs. 400, providing ex-gratia of Rs 7 lakh to drivers’
family on accidental death, regularising home guards who have served for 16
years, establishing hostels for working women, increase of pension for
unmarried women to Rs 3000, providing Rs. 10,000 allowance to practicing
advocates, connecting the four districts of Sikkim via underground roads and
regularising the workers under PSUs such as MGNREGA, SICB, NHM, etc.
Once again,
he affirmed that the SDF government will be implementing a Universal Basic
Income scheme which will provide all citizens with financial security. He added that this is driven by the party’s youth-centric
agenda and is aimed at empowering the youth through economic stability.
He urged
the people to vote for SDF, saying that “I’m contesting this election so that I
can handover the state to good leaders who can take Sikkim to greater heights.
My politics is for Sikkim and the Sikkimese people”.
The
election manifesto was made after extensive consultation with the people of Sikkim,
eminent stakeholders and experts. Through two digital campaigns ‘#MyFirstVote4Chamling’
and ‘Ma Pani Chamling’, citizens sent in sent their ideas for the development
of the state. More than 80,000 responses were received in this manner. These
ideas have been incorporated in the election manifesto making citizens active
partners in setting the developmental agenda; this has become the largest
participative agenda setting exercise in Sikkim’s history.
During the Sikkim Vijay Sankalp Rally, Pawan
Chamling will be addressing the public in Mangan, Gangtok, Namthang, Rorathang,
Kabi, Ravangla, Geyzing, Mining, Rangpo and Jorethang.
The election to the 32-member Sikkim
Assembly is being held on 11th April alongside the Lok Sabha election.
