In Sikkim, the State Legislative Assembly
today has unanimously
passed the Sikkim
Lokayukta Bill -2014.
The bill aimed at providing transparent and corruption
free governance in the state, will allow people to file petition against any
corrupt individual ranging from Chief Minister to the Panchayat or chief
Secretary to peon. The Chief Minsiter ,
Pawan Chamling who is also the In-Charge State Law Department introduced the
bill during the ninth session of state Legislative Assembly held in Gangtok
today . Mr. Chamling said that the bill
which is based on central Lokpal Bill, will benefit people in the state helping
them into any allegations of corruptions against certain public functionaries.
Sikkim also known as Shikim or Su Khyim is a
landlocked Indian state located in the Himalayan mountains. The state borders
Nepal to the west, China's Tibet Autonomous Region to the north and east, and
Bhutan to the east. The Indian state of West Bengal lies to the south. With
610,577 inhabitants as of the 2011 census, Sikkim
is the least populous state in India and the second-smallest state after Goa in total area, covering approximately
7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi). Sikkim is nonetheless geographically diverse due to
its location in the Himalayas; the climate ranges from subtropical to high
alpine, and Kangchenjunga, the world's
third-highest peak, is located on Sikkim's border with Nepal. Sikkim is a
popular tourist destination, owing to its culture, scenery and biodiversity. It
also has the only open land border
between India and China. Sikkim's capital and largest city is Gangtok.
According to legend, the Buddhist guru
Padmasambhava visited Sikkim in the 8th century AD, introduced Buddhism and
foretold the era of the Sikkimese monarchy. Sikkim's Namgyal dynasty was
established in 1642. Over the next 150 years, the kingdom witnessed frequent
raids and territorial losses to Nepalese invaders. In the 19th century, it allied
itself with British India, eventually becoming a British protectorate. In 1975, a referendum abolished the
Sikkimese monarchy, and the territory was merged with India. Sikkim is the only
state in India with an ethnic Nepali
majority. Sikkim has 11 official languages: Nepali (which is its lingua
franca), Bhutia, Lepcha, Tamang, Limbu, Newari, Rai, Gurung, Magar, Sunwar and
English. English is taught in schools and used in government documents. The
predominant religions are Hinduism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Sikkim's economy is
largely dependent on agriculture and tourism, and as of 2012 the state has the
third-smallest GDP among Indian states, although it is also among the
fastest-growing.
