Department Interacts with Traders and Nathula Prospects Look Brighter
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01 June, 2005; 1 STATE BANKNOW! OF INDIA Wednesday, 01 June, 2005 Vol. 3 No. 335 Gangtok Rs. 3 GANGTOK BRANCH Announces introduction of new loan scheme called LIC Housing Finance Ltd. GANGTOK AREA OFFICE “MORTGAGE LOAN FOR TRADERS” On easier terms & conditions: Special Offer 7.5%* Maximum interest on working capital-10% & for (Monthly reducing Simple Rate of Interest) Term Loan-10.50% Contact: LIC Housing Finance Ltd. H.No.198, Ist Floor, NH31A, Quantum of loan-75% of Gairigaon,Tadong,Gangtok. value of mortgaged property (Ph.no.270648,232830) For details, please contact: *condition apply NK Pradhan- 9434012824 BRING HOME PEACE OF MIND SC Das- 9434351644 DEPARTMENT INTERACTS WITH TRADERS AND NATHULA PROSPECTS LOOK BRIGHTER LET THERE BE TRADE Govt wants a workable policy which The interface organised by the Department of Commerce & Industries with members of the trading community here has will make trade a success: Gyatso been welcomed by the traders. Seeing it as a progressive in September, not only is the interface with the business move on the part of the State Government, they have stressed a NOW REPORT State prepared fully for it, but community was to take their that this further underlined the Chief Minister’s commitment to usher in development in Sikkim by taking the people into con- GANGTOK, 31 May: The also up to the task of catering suggestions and share their ex- fidence, a point also highlighted by the Principal Secretary, to it in a professional manner,” Department for Commerce & periences. We listened today Commerce & Industries, Karma Gyatso, at today’s meet. Industries in a move which un- said Principal Secretary, Com- and let them do all the talking. The meeting began on an upbeat note with the Depart- derlines its commitment to re- merce & Industries, Karma This compounding of views, ment informing the delegates that local traders will be given suming trade over Nathula on Gyatso, who took charge of the we are convinced will go a long exclusive entry to the proposed border trade in the initial days. the right note, today held an department barely a month ago. way on drafting a very tangible Several important points were discussed at the meeting at interactive meeting at Chintan Mr. Gyatso was con- and workable policy which will Chintan Bhawan today with traders requesting that since Sikkim Bhawan with traders of the vinced that the traders, be- make the trade a success,” Mr. did not have the PAN system, an alternative be worked out to State to share their views on the cause they had hands-on ex- Gyatso added. facilitate trade. This, they were told, the department was already proposed resumption of trade. perience of trade over The department’s commit- working on. The option of issuing short-term permits instead of “Many traders here have Nathula, were repositories of ment to the meeting today and visas to traders involved in the business was also mooted. Today’s meeting was the first such interaction on Nathula valuable experience of trading important information which to the trade can be gauged from and the days progress, the concept of trade is expected to get over Nathula. We wanted to would help the department the fact that even the Com- fine-tuned further. An important date for all sides involved in involve them in the whole proc- draft a better proposal on the merce & Industries Minister, the trade is 16 June when Dr. Mahendra P. Lama, the eco- ess of reopening Nathula for final shape of the trade. RB Subba, attended today’s nomic advisor to the chief minister, delivers a presentation on trade so that when trade begins “The whole idea behind the turn to pg7 the prospects and promises of trade over Nathula. iNSIDE Lepcha Assc. CM proposes regional cooperation for tourism promotion TH Mr. Chamling, who at- eco-tourism would benefit the congratulates 19 EASTERN ZONAL COUNCIL MEETING, RANCHI tended the zonal meeting on the entire region. Eastern Zonal Council Meeting personal insistence of the Un- The Zonal meeting, chaired a NOW REPORT ‘Nekung’ held yesterday at Ranchi, Mr. ion Home Minister, also high- by the Union Home Minister, DETAILS ON pg 7 GANGTOK, 31 May: Chief Chamling said that while lighted eco-tourism and village was also attended by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling healthy competition among the tourism as potential areas for Ministers of West Bengal, called upon all North Eastern NE states was welcome, what development not only in Jharkhand and Orissa along states to lend their cooperation was also required was regional Sikkim but in neighbouring with senior officials of various SBI in development of tourist cir- cooperation in the form of de- states too; this suggestion was Central Ministries and State cuits in the region. Stressing on veloping tourist circuits which welcomed by Union Home Governments, informs a press press the tourism potential of the would go a long way in attract- Minister, Shivraj Patil, who felt release issued by the office of CREDIT North East region at the 19th ing tourists to the region. that promotion of activities like turn to pg 5 SBI announces Xpress XCredit.XXX Personal Loans for net monthly incomes of Rs. 2,500 onwards; 18-times the salary; at 10.25% interest! LANDSLIDE HAZARDS: A Town in Trouble contact PT Bhutia 9434357921, NK Pradhan 94340 12824 or and they are driven by gravity. P Darnal 9434151288 Gangtok needs a multi-dimensional Landslides can be triggered by earthquakes, volcanic erup- approach to shore up its fragility tions, soil saturated by heavy rain or a rise in ground water KAMALESH OLLOIMYA levels and river undercutting. landslide is the movement Saturated soil shaken by Aof a mass of rock, debris earthquakes creates particularly or earth down a slope. Whilst dangerous conditions. Although the causes of slope movement landslides are highly localised, can be quiet complex, all slides they can be particularly hazard- have two things in common – ous due to their frequency of oc- they are the result of failure of currence. They can vary in size part of the rock and soil mate- from a single boulder or toppling rials that make up a hill slope, of tens of millions of cubic me- tres of material in a debris ava- SLIP-n-SLIDE: The monsoons are just on their way in and slides have already begun. turn to pg5 22; NOW!; 01 June, 2005 ED-SPACE The silver linings of defeat ith the rejec macy deficit” has opened up. None of this is to ignore the tion of the Experience across the Con- disadvantages of direct democ- proposed Eu- tinent shows that it is only racy. It is true that much of the Onwards To Nathula W ropean Union when the EU is put center stage debate in France and the Neth- constitution in France’s refer- in referendums - imperfect erlands has had little to do with The interface organised by the Department of Commerce & endum on Sunday, and the like- though they may be - that elites the constitution and that the Industries with local traders on Nathula comes as welcome lihood of a similar result in the and electorates engage with referendums have given dema- news. Not only does it bear out the department’s commit- Netherlands on Wednesday, a each other and start speaking gogues, scaremongers and po- ment to working out a coherent approach to the trade, it also half-century of deepening Eu- the same language on Europe. litical opportunists a platform hints at a welcome change in attitude. What kills the best of ropean integration appears to As the French and Dutch to whip up fears. But it is for ideas, not only in Sikkim, but also in the country as a whole, have hit the buffers. Some warn campaigns, and referendums in political leaders to understand is the bureaucracy’s refusal to change and adapt. Several of a crisis of confidence in the voters’ fears, explaining them good projects and proposals have failed because the offic- EU, while devoted advocates of away if they are baseless and ers responsible for the delivery refuse to listen to the people integration fear that without building consensus on how to and the stakeholders. In doing so, they end up replicating EXTERNAL project guidelines drafted in offices too distant from the place forward momentum, the Euro- face them if they are real. If they of implementation. Most fail, and rather miserably at that. It is pean project will topple over. AFFAIRS cannot do this they are not do- in a situation like this that the Department has taken the ini- That the constitution is now EUROPE ing their job. tiative to invite suggestions from the traders themselves on a dead letter is undoubtedly a Referendums have proved how preparations for trade over Nathula should be guided. setback for the EU in some other countries in the past, have to be the only effective disci- It would not be an exaggeration to suggest here that ways: Its prestige has been shown, when people get to vote pline to force Europe’s lead- what the department learnt in a day-long meeting today, it damaged and the prospect is on changes to the way the EU ers to make the case for Eu- would have spent months trying to accumulate from files or now remote that the many sen- works, passion and human rope. That they have failed to research by experts. The traders on their part, have learnt sible reforms contained in the drama are injected into a debate win over voters this time does about the plans that the department has and would have document will be implemented which, if even audible, is usu- not mean that voters should worked out from today’s interaction about how committed the department is to the prospect.