Speaking at a press conference organized by the Press Club of India, New Delhi on January 9, the Sikkim chief minister, Pawan Chamling, declared that Sikkim stands out as a peaceful state in northeastern India. That is in spite of being surrounded by China, Nepal and Bhutan on three sides. Sikkim has West Bengal bordering the other side.

Chamling who started his career in the Police department and went on to become a contractor. He formed the Sikkim Democratic Front in 1993 and was elected chief minister of Sikkim for the first time in 1994. Then he repeated his performance in 1999 and 2004. This is his third term running as chief minister of Sikkim.

Since its merger with India, Sikkim has seen remarkable development. Chamling said he believes in constructive politics and that he has always done what is in the national interest. He said that is why he has supported the government at the centre for the last 15 years irrespective of what party or coalition was in power here.

Sikkim produces much more hydro electric power than what the state consumes. At present it produces 5,000 MW of power. By 2015, it will be able to produce 8,000 MW. The total consumption in Sikkim is only 1,000 MW of power.

Only 14 per cent of land is cultivable in Sikkim. The rest is taken up by forests, mountains, rivers and streams. Chamling has won the award for the greenest chief minister. Since the time he became the chief minister, he banned felling of trees. He also banned hunting of birds and animals. This has resulted in conservation of flora and fauna of Sikkim.

Since the time Chamling took over as the chief minister of Sikkim, he has emphasized the importance of education in the state. Out of the total budget of the state, 20 per cent is earmarked for education. At present 85% of the population in the state is literate. He wants to achieve a 100 per cent literacy in Sikkim by the year 2015.

On the education front, Sikkim government provides interest free loans to students who get admission in one of the 100 top educational institutions in the world. And, for those who get admission in one of the 20 top educational institutions, it is willing to provide 100 per cent financial assistance.

Education is theoretical in nature. So, the Sikkim government has a separate ministry which looks into providing practical and vocational training.

Health, particularly rural health, is one of the prime concerns of Sikkim. The government has introduced mobile hospitals that visit the villages and attend to health related problems of the villagers. Chamling wants to turn Sikkim into a HIV-free and drug-free state. He also wants to introduce compulsory free medical check up for every inhabitant of the state by the year 2015.

One of the main concerns of Chamling is rural development. He has reserved 70 per cent of the state budget for development of villages. In the first phase, Sikkim government worked toward providing water, electricity and roads. In the second phase, it will concentrate on providing quality services.

The opening of the trade route to China through the Nathu La pass is opening up business opportunities for Sikkim. However, the volume of trade is not as much as the state would like it to be. The Sikkim government hopes that opening of Nathu La pass would also bring in tourists from China and help build a healthy relationship between the two countries.

With Kanchenjunga towering over the imposing mountaiscape of Sikkim, the state is also rich in Himalayan wildlife as also the Buddhist Gompas and a culture that reverberates with Buddhists mysticism which are great tourist attractions. Sikkim is also known for a wide variety of orchids, rhododendrons and ferns that grow abundantly in the state.

Sikkim is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful states of India since the time it merged with India in 1975. Other than Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim is the only Indian state which has all the geographical zones within its territory beginning from river beds to alpine zones. This makes for a rich vegetation and variegated wild life.

The three time chief minister Sikkim, Pawan Chamling, presents himself as a servant of the people and hopes that he would lead the state to self sufficiency and state-of-art development by the year 2015. He is clearly looking for a fourth term as chief minister of Sikkim as all his targets are set for 2015.