The Janta Mela a unique endeavour which was launched by the State Government launched in the year 2008 to uplift and empower the people of Sikkim especially the rural one has completed the 10 years and has now stepped on its 11 year.
Conceived and conceptualized by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling himself, the public outreach program aims to ensure that welfare schemes and benefits earmarked for distribution to beneficiaries are handed over in public events by the Chief Minister himself.
The philosophy behind the Janta Mela was to fulfill the basic minimum needs of the people and bring about social and economic transformation so that they can make their own decisions and live a life of dignity. Janta Mela was also an exercise to connect with rural masses and educate them about the existing schemes and programmes of the Government.
It also serves as a platform for people from the rural areas to directly interact with the Chief Minister and place their demands and grievances.
Some of the items distributed on the occasion were Electronic Rice Cookers, Water Filters, Compost Bins, Sound System, Samajik Seva Bhatta, Financial Assistance for purchase of religious robes, Oxen for Ploughing and Breeding, Milch Cow, financial incentive for setting up business Enterprises to disabled persons, Incentives under CM’s Start-up Scheme, House allotment certificates under CMRHM Phase II, GCI Sheets, House upgradation grant, LPG, Induction Stove, Kadhai & Frying Pan, buffet Sets, torch Light, Sewing Machine, Photocopier Machines, Water Filters, Tents/Shamiyana, Pressure Cookers, Desktop Computers, Laptops to students and Self Help Groups, Power Tiller, GENEP tank – 50,000 litres, Community Vermicompost, RCC Tank – 10,000 litres, Post Metric Scholarship schemes to students, CM’s Merit Scholarship Scheme, 1000 litres HDPE Tanks, Poly pipes, flexible/nylon pipes, and fabricated green houses. Likewise, buffaloes, poultry and piglets were also distributed under Animal Husbandry Department. Similarly, token incentives were also handed over to beneficiaries of ‘Proud Mother Scheme’, grant-in-aid to religious institutions under Ecclesiastical department, and incentives for community investment under State Rural Livelihood Mission.
A significant addition to this year’s programme is the distribution of allotment orders to eligible beneficiaries under ‘Land Bank Scheme’ to Sukumbasis (Landless). This welfare Scheme is a recent government decision and entails allotting available Government lands to Sukumbasis. Some of the beneficiaries were handed over token allotment orders by the Chief Minister today. The first phase will have more than 100 allotments being distributed during the Janta Mela program in all the districts, and subsequent cases will be covered in the coming days. The Land Revenue & Disaster Management Department is the nodal department entrusted with the implementation of this Scheme.
Token for Eight number of Garbage Collection and Disposal Vehicles were also distributed by the Chief Minister on the occasion.
The departments participating in the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan or Janta Mela are Urban Development & Housing Department, Cultural Affairs & Heritage Department, Social Justice Empowerment & Welfare Department, Food Security & Agriculture Development Department, Human Resource Development Department, Horticulture & Cash Crops Development Department, Animal Husbandry department, with Rural Management & Development Department being the nodal department organizing the program. Stalls were put up by all the participating departments to facilitate the process of distribution of benefits under respective schemes.
The Department of Rural Management & Development is the nodal department responsible for organizing the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, in coordination with all the line departments of the Government.