Sikkim has announced complete lockdown from May 17 till 24 in view of continuous spike in Covid-19 cases in the Himalayan state, which has been under partial lockdown since May 6.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of the state government chaired by Sikkim chief minister P. S. Tamang (Golay) in Gangtok on Monday.
“All state government offices, shops, including ration shops, private commercial establishments, institutions, gymnasiums, markets and factories, other than those engaged in the production of medicines, medical equipment, oxygen and allied sector shall remain closed,” said a notification issued by the home department.
Other than medicine shops, which were exempted from the lockdown, only shops selling milk will be allowed to operate from 7am to 11am, the notification added.
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The opposition Sikkim Democratic Front received a massive jolt when about 5,000 members and senior leaders shifted their allegiance to the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha at a mass joining programme here on Tuesday.
The new entrants were welcomed to the SKM by party president and Sikkim chief minister P. S. Tamang (Golay) by offering them khadas. Among the senior SDF leaders who switched to the SKM included vice-president (organisation) and former minister O.T. Lepcha, former minister Menlom Lepcha, former advisor of the urban development department Sher Hang Subba and former chairperson of Sikkim OBC Board and women’s leader Bina Rai.
Sikkim chief minister P.S. Tamang (Golay) declared on Sunday that two new districts Soreng and Pakyong would be created by carving out the existing West and East districts, respectively, by next year.
Speaking at the foundation stone-laying of a community health centre (CHC) at Soreng, Golay said the upgrade of Soreng and Pakyong subdivisions to districts could have happened this year itself, but couldn’t because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We will upgrade Pakyong subdivision and Soreng subdivion to districts by 2022,” he said.
Sikkim now has four districts.
The chief minister, who was born in Soreng and had represented the Chakung Assembly constituency from the area for three terms, said he was in favour of upgrading the subdivision not because it is his birthplace, but because both in terms of its geographical area and population, the place deserved to be a district. “Even before the formation of our government, we had declared it in our election manifesto,” he sai