Sikkim’s Social Welfare Minister Samdup Lepcha urged the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs to step in to ensure effective implementation of central minority welfare schemes during the two-day Chintan Shivir at Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar on February 18–19. Lepcha sought expedited support for projects under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) and Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), saying implementation challenges in the State were hindering timely delivery of health, education and community infrastructure benefits to minority communities.
The Sikkim delegation, led by Lepcha, included Secretary Sarika Pradhan, Chief Engineer Thinley Gyatso Chankapa and Special Secretaries Satyen Pradhan and Bandana Chettri. In his address, Lepcha thanked the Ministry for sanctioning several health and education projects and presented a status report on the Buddhist Development Project for Sikkim, while requesting further assistance for health, sports and educational infrastructure, youth empowerment and community well‑being initiatives.
The Chintan Shivir, organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs and chaired by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju with Minister of State George Kurian present, brought together senior officials, policymakers and domain experts from across the country to review policy priorities and implementation strategies. The programme included briefings, thematic presentations by institutional experts and focused group discussions across five themes: infrastructure development, socio‑economic empowerment, Waqf management, Haj management and scholarship schemes.
During the inaugural session on February 19, the Ministry launched several digital initiatives, including the PMJVK App, a Haj Suvidha smart wrist band and an AI chatbot portal, intended to streamline service delivery and beneficiary access. PMJVK is a central scheme aimed at addressing development deficits in minority‑concentrated areas by financing education, health and skill‑development infrastructure. (pmjvk.minorityaffairs.gov.in) PM VIKAS focuses on skilling, heritage and livelihood support for minority artisans and youth. (pmvikas.minorityaffairs.gov.in)
Participants used the group discussions to share field experiences, identify implementation bottlenecks and propose actionable recommendations. The closing session consolidated key findings and priority action points, and Rijiju praised Sikkim’s Social Welfare department for its swift project execution, urging stronger Union‑State coordination to ensure timely completion of development initiatives for minority welfare.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/samdup-lepcha-seeks-minority-affairs-ministrys-intervention-for-effective-implementation-of-pmjvk-and-pmvikas-in-sikkim
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