GANGTOK: An awareness programme on state and central government schemes was organised by Commerce and Industries Department, Government of Sikkim, in collaboration with the Sikkim Entrepreneurship and Economic Development Cell (SEED CELL) under the Raising and Accelerating MSMEs and Performance (RAMP) programme, at PM Shri Samdong Senior Secondary School on Thursday.
The event was graced by MLA cum Chairman STCS, Samdup Tshering Bhutia, as the chief guest.
In his address, MLA Samdup Tshering Bhutia highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship and skill development in shaping the future of Sikkim. He stated that the state government, under the leadership of the Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, had been working to create opportunities for youth to become self-reliant and independent.
The chief guest encouraged students and participants to take full advantage of various state and central schemes, stating that these initiatives were designed not only to provide financial help but also to guide and mentor budding entrepreneurs. He urged the young generation to change their outlook from job-seeking to job-creating, thereby contributing to the economic growth of the state.
Samdup Tshering Bhutia also appreciated the efforts of the Commerce and Industries Department and SEED CELL for organising such programmes at the grassroots level and expressed hope that the knowledge shared would inspire innovative ideas among the stakeholders.
OSD, Commerce and Industries Department and General Secretary, SEED CELL, Dipen Subba delivered the keynote address. He stated that SEED CELL was set up under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang to promote entrepreneurship in the state and encourage youth to become job creators rather than job seekers.
Dipen Subba added that SEED CELL was working towards building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem and acted as a bridge between entrepreneurs and the government. He reiterated the Chief Minister’s vision of One Family, One Entrepreneur and advised people not to depend only on the government for jobs but to focus on generating employment through business.
He shared that schools would soon have entrepreneur clubs with workshops, seminars and bootcamps to promote self-reliance. He cited the example of Dr Verghese Kurien, founder of Amul, who left his job to become an entrepreneur and contributed greatly to the nation’s GDP. He encouraged aspiring entrepreneurs to identify problems and create solutions.
Following the event, presentations were made on various central government schemes such as the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, UNNATI Scheme, PM Vishwakarma Scheme and Udyam Scheme. Presentations also covered topics such as FSSAI, Digital Marketing, ONDC, GeM and the process of onboarding products on Amazon and Flipkart. The session included an interactive discussion between representatives of the Commerce and Industries Department, SEED CELL and the stakeholders present.
The welcome address was delivered by GM, DIC-Gangtok and Mangan, Prakash Rai, and the vote of thanks was proposed by Deputy Director, DIC-Gangtok, Janak Chettri.
The occasion was also attended by Zilla Adhakshya Gangtok Balaram Adhikari, BDO Rakdong-Tintek Pushkar Khatiwara, Deputy Director District Industries Centre Gangtok Janak Bahadur Chettri, OSD to MLA, Keshav Nepal, OSD AYUSH Deena Gautam, Principal of PM Shri Samdong Sr Sec School Pradeep Sharma, Zilla panchayats, panchayat presidents, ward panchayats and other stakeholders.
- IPR Report
