GANGTOK: Governor Om Prakash Mathur on Saturday visited Kupup and Gnathang, the two villages located along the Indo-China border, as part of the Vibrant Village program. The Governor’s first stop on his tour was a brief halt at the Yak Golf Course, situated at an elevation of 13,100 feet—the highest golf course in the world.
Upon his arrival in Kupup, situated at an elevation of 13000 feet, the Governor was welcomed by DC Gangtok, Tushar Nikhare, Sr SP Gangtok Tenzing Loden, Asst Collector, Sandeep Jha, BDO Nandok, TT Bhutia, the panchayat president, and officers from various departments.
At Kupup, the Governor inaugurated a rainwater harvesting tank aligned with the ‘Mission
Life’ theme, a Raj Bhavan release informs. Following this, Mathur visited the Kupup community centre, where the panchayat president provided an overview of the village. Gangtok DC Tushar Nikhare highlighted the significance of the Vibrant Village program and expressed pride in hosting the Governor. Asst. Collector Sandeep Jha delivered a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation on the sanctioned and proposed projects under the Vibrant Village Program.
The Governor engaged with the villagers and expressed his commitment to addressing their needs. He emphasized that the Vibrant Village program is a pioneering initiative aimed at bringing socio-economic improvements to those living along the Indo-China border, a first since Independence. He assured his support for the successful implementation of the program, the release informs.
The Governor also encouraged villagers to explore their specialized local talents for both national and international markets, and suggested them on the formation of Self-Help Groups to facilitate this effort.
He further stated that the program will be taken forward through the combined efforts of both the local community and the government. The Governor visit continued with Gnathang village at an elevation of 13,500ft where he made his field visit to the site designated for a high-altitude sports complex under the Vibrant Village program and interacted with the local community. Additionally, he visited the Old Baba Mandir and offered prayers, the release informs.
The Governor was accompanied on the tour by his additional secretary Khemraj Bhattarai, as well as officers from Raj Bhavan and various line departments.