GANGTOK: The State-level Sampoornata Abhiyan Samman Samaroh under NITI Aayog’s Aspirational District and Aspirational Blocks Programme was held at Chintan Bhawan, here on Friday.
The event marked the culmination of the Sampoornata Abhiyan, a nationwide mission-mode campaign launched by NITI Aayog on July 4, 2024.
Conducted over three months, the Abhiyan aimed to achieve saturation of critical Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across themes such as health and nutrition, education, agriculture, water resources, financial inclusion, and basic infrastructure.
In Sikkim, the Sampoornata Abhiyan was implemented in one Aspirational District i.e., Soreng and three Aspirational Blocks i.e., Namchi Block under Namchi District, Chumbung Block under Soreng District, and Chongrang Block under Gyalshing District.
The event was attended by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang as chief guest alongside Minister of Education, Sports & Youth Affairs and Law & Parliamentary Affairs, Raju Basnet, Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation and Commerce & Industries, Tshering Thendup Bhutia, Chief Secretary, M R Telang, and Secretary, Planning and Development Department, Rinzing Chewang Bhutia, on the dais.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister Tamang highlighted the need to look beyond a single Aspirational District and ensure that all six districts of the state actively strive towards achieving saturation in Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
He emphasised that the Central Government allots funds under the Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme in accordance with performance, establishing clear goals and deadlines. He warned that funds could be withdrawn if these saturation targets are not met. Therefore, targeted implementation at the grassroots level is crucial.
The Chief Minister stated that reaching saturation is a team effort that depends on the commitment of frontline staff and the concerted efforts of allied departments. Although Sikkim has an adequate manpower, he pointed out that timely and successful implementation depends on effective manpower management.
Noting that other districts should not become complacent just because Soreng is the only Aspirational District, he urged healthy competition among all districts. Rather, each district needs to put in more efforts, work together to solve its own problems, and strive for holistic growth, he added.
The Chief Minister made reference to grassroots governance, pointing out that the majority of Gram Panchayat Units are run by knowledgeable and qualified Panchayats whose opinions need to be actively used.
He further urged the development of a systematic roadmap to direct advancement as development requirements keep changing. He explained that the Institute for Transforming Sikkim (ITS) was founded in this context to promote integrated development planning and offer strategic guidance.
Additionally, he brought attention to the state’s underutilised infrastructure, emphasising the necessity of developing mechanisms that guarantee the best possible use of the resources already in place.
The Chief Minister stressed the importance of the data produced by the DESME and urged officials to carefully examine it in order to find any gaps or weaknesses that need to be fixed. While acknowledging that all districts are doing well, he praised the efforts made thus far and urged them to put in even more effort to raise development standards. He assured that all district-specific issues brought up during the campaign would be addressed by the state government.
The Chief Minister also mentioned the increasing number of suicides in the state, especially among young people, and mentioned online gaming as a developing issue. He gave examples of how internet addiction has led to mental health problems and even suicides. In response, he declared that coordination meetings would be held shortly to fully address these urgent social issues.
Chief Secretary Telang, in his address, praised the collaborative efforts across departments and districts to carry out the Sampoornata Abhiyan. He emphasised the importance of evidence-based and data-driven governance, stating that although Sikkim does well on national metrics, a more thorough examination of DESME data is necessary to pinpoint its weaknesses and advantages.
He called for transforming data-driven governance into evidence-based administration, where every policy decision and developmental intervention is informed by accurate and timely data. In order to realise the goal of a ‘Sunaulo, Samriddha, ani Samarth Sikkim’, he urged for targeted, indicator-based planning.
Staff Officer to the Chief Secretary and former SDM, Soreng, Sunny Kharel, presented a comprehensive overview of the Sampoornata Abhiyan, outlining its objectives, progress, and impact on grassroots governance and development.
Three district-level presentations were showcased by their respective District Collectors namely Anupa Tamling (Namchi), Tenzing D Denzongpa (Gyalshing) and Dhiraj Subedi (Soreng), highlighting developmental milestones and innovations from their respective districts.
Thereafter, the Samaroh celebrated the outstanding contributions of Namchi, Gyalshing, and Soreng districts towards the saturation of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) under the Aspirational District and Blocks framework.
Soreng District was conferred two medals by NITI Aayog; Gold for its exemplary performance under the Aspirational Blocks Programme and Silver under the Aspirational District Programme. The medals were received by DC Soreng along with BDO Chumbung, Mr Ram Kumar Gurung.
Namchi Block under Namchi District, having achieved saturation in three KPIs under the Aspirational Blocks Programme, was awarded the Copper medal. The recognition was received by DC Namchi and BDO Namchi, Mr Upendra Rai.
Chongrang Block under Gyalshing District, having saturated four KPIs, was awarded the Bronze medal. DC Gyalshing received the honour alongside BDO Chongrang, Ms Geeta Kumari Gurung.
Additionally, Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the officers and frontline workers of all three districts in recognition of their dedicated service and contribution to the campaign’s success.
Secretary cum DG, Development, Evaluation and Statistics Monitoring Establishment (DESME), Devika Rani Sharma, presented an update on the current status of SDG goals in the State while offering key insights into the measurable progress and future focus areas.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Additional Secretary, Planning & Development Department, Sharmistha Rai.
Earlier, the welcome address was delivered by Secretary, Planning and Development Department, Rinzing Chewang Bhutia.
The culmination programme also had the presence of Mayor, Gangtok Municipal Corporation, Deputy Mayor, Councillors, Panchayats, Additional Chief Secretaries, Secretaries, ADCs, BDOs and senior officials of various departments.
- IPR Report
