Sikkim Urban Development & Housing Department

This article highlights the various features of the Housing and Building department of Sikkim. It also expresses concerns over the development of the capital city of Sikkim, that is, Gangtok.

A Brief Account on the Establishment of the Sikkim Housing and Development Board

Rural and urban development in the state of Sikkim was widely carried out by the Gangtok Municipal Corporation after Sikkim was declared the 22nd state of India. However, the year 1985 witnessed the abolition of the powers of the Gangtok Municipal Corporation under the enactment of the Sikkim Repeal and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1985.

As a result, all the powers and functions were now vested with the local self-government which was renamed as the Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD) of Sikkim. This official government organisation has its office located in the core of the city of Gangtok facing the STNM Hospital. This Sikkim building bye-laws have an age-old entrance gate with a clock tower constructed in front.

Duties of the Building and Housing Department of Sikkim

Functioning under the Sikkim power Urban Housing and Development Board, the department of building and housing department is allotted with a series of responsibilities. These not just include the construction of various types of houses in Sikkim and renovation of infrastructural amenities to improve the state’s standard of habitation, but also responsibilities such as –

• Surveying and assessment, planning and designing, estimation and execution, allotment and maintenance of various buildings held by the Government.
• Moreover, the same practices are also conducted for non-residential public buildings, semi-government organisations like the autonomous bodies of Boards, Corporations, Companies, Raj Bhawan and Government Quarters.
• Along with managing the allotment of Government Quarters, the Home Department Sikkim is also concerned with duties such as assessing the rents, valuation of the properties, preparations for specifications of the building or property, etc.
• The department is also known to schedule rates for carrying out the construction works and appoint consultants for structuring out the designs and layouts of the project.

Achievements of the Building and Housing Department of Sikkim

Having stated the duties of the Building and Housing Department of Sikkim, we would like to draw your attention to its various achievements and effectiveness in carrying out projects in the state which in turn has contributed to the Gangtok City Development Plan.

• Foundation of state buildings like the Secretariat Building at Tashiling.
• Construction of Sikkim Judicial Academy and the State Museum.
• Establishment of holy statues of various deities like Chenrezig Statue.
• Skywalk Project, Multi-sports Complex, Paljor Stadium and the 1000-bedded Multi-speciality hospital are some of the other completed projects by the Building and Housing Department of Sikkim.
• Government buildings like Chintan Bhawan in Gangtok, New Raj Bhawan, Manan Kendra, Samman Bhawan, etc.
• Monastery like Gnadak Gompa in Namchi, South Sikkim.
• AIS Quarters and Sardar Police Station in Gangtok.
• Besides, the Housing Department has also established projects outside the border of Sikkim such as by constructing guest houses in the city of Guwahati and Kolkata.

Programmes of the Urban Development and Housing Department of Sikkim

The urban development department of Sikkim has emerged with various undertakings to eliminate the slums in the state and make the state a smart centre for housing and trade. Under this proposed objective, the development department of the Government of Sikkim has adopted various schemes and programmes for the establishment of better housing and infrastructure in the state.

• Integrated Housing and Slum Development in Singtam and Gangtok: Intending to eliminate the slums from the state, the housing commission has embarked on the construction of pucca houses for the economically weaker section and the low-income groups. Along with housing facilities, this scheme also covers the improvement of infrastructural amenities in the surroundings of the houses developed.
• Multi-level Car Park at Parking Yard and Chandmari Deorali: To fight the voluminous traffic in the city area and to remove tourist vehicles from the sides of the road, the urban development department has taken effective measures for construction of parking lots in the most crowded zones of the state.
• Establishment of Shopping Hubs: The Kissan Bazaar, Rhenock Bazaar and Makha are some of the notable examples of construction and renovation works that are undertaken by the development board of Sikkim.
• Innovation in Road and transport systems: With the establishment of Walkway Nam Nang in Gangtok, the Snow Lion Entry Gate at Rangpo and Pedestrian Fly-overs at Deorali, the development commission have put much effort and labour to infuse the economic prosperity in the state. This is because Sikkim is a widely popular tourist spot and better infrastructure facilitates easy communication and transport within the state as well as from the outskirts.
• Gangtok City Development Plan: Massive urbanisation and development of roads have been carried out under the Gangtok City Development Plan in the state capital of Sikkim to enable swift flow in the tourism sector as well in trade and commerce. Thus, the Urban Development and Housing Department is not just concerned about providing better accommodations for the people living in the state but also focuses on eliminating poverty and generating economic prosperity.

Smart City Project in Sikkim

A smart city challenge was conducted across the country where governing departments of each state undertook programmes and promised to bring about a revolution in the structure and economy of the state’s premises. The Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, which is currently recognised as the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Smart City Mission (SCM) on 25 June 2015.

The main motive of launching this scheme was to turn the undeveloped regions of the state to urbanised centres and colonies along with technologically advanced features and infrastructure. This enabled to city to be recognised as one of the well-developed zones of the state, and hence be called as a Smart City. Gangtok was one such city that was proclaimed for accepting the challenge and become the Smart City Sikkim comprises. As a result, the Smart City Mission was adopted in the state of Sikkim for the development of Gangtok under the supervision of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India.