Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Sikkim to inaugurate the state’s first airport at Pakyong in East Sikkim on September 23. PM is also scheduled to address a public meeting at St Xavier’s School playground in Pakyong.
Regarding the same, a high-level meeting was convened by the chief secretary AK Shrivastava on Wednesday to discuss and allocate responsibilities to various departments of the state and central government agencies for the proposed visit of the PM to Sikkim on September 23.
During the meeting, the chief secretary informed that it has been intimated by the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Civil Aviation on the visit of the Prime Minister on September 23. He informed that the PM would inaugurate the Pakyong Airport and then will address a public meeting at St Xavier’s School ground, Pakyong, and return the same day. He stated that the detailed tour programme of the PM was awaited. The secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation RN Choubey will be in Sikkim on Thursday to oversee preparations for the visit.
“I am very happy to share that the Prime Minister is visiting Sikkim for the second time and this time he will be inaugurating the Pakyong Airport which is ready and has undergone trial on two occasions in the month of March, 2018,” chief secretary said. He said that after the formal inauguration of the Airport on September 23, the commercial operations will commence from the first week of October.
Shrivastava shared the tentative programme of the Prime Minister’s visit and took department-wise stock of preparations to be made. Among the points discussed in the meeting, he stressed the urgency to repair and upgrade roads along Rangpo to Ranipool by the NHIDCL and the stretch from Ranipool to Pakyong Airport by the Roads & Bridges Department. He called for taking adequate measures in case of any exigency. Security issues, upgradation of roads, immediate repair of retention wall below the Airport, list of guests and passes, continuous power supply, medical team, dais plan and beautification and upkeep of Airport and Pakyong town were also discussed.
He further said there will be severe restriction on the number of officials attending the inauguration program at Pakyong Airport and urged all the Heads of Departments to keep a note of this.