Sikkim News : CM Tamang Declares Restricted Holiday for Engineers on September 15

Gangtok, Sikkim, September 15, 2025 :  Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang today announced that Engineers' Day, observed annually on September 15, will be a restricted holiday for engineers in the state starting from next year. Addressing a function in Gangtok, the Chief Minister said the holiday is a tribute to the legendary Indian engineer and Bharat Ratna awardee M. Visvesvaraya, known as the "Father of Indian Engineering." He praised the contributions of both retired and serving engineers in Sikkim's development, acknowledging their critical role in building roads, bridges, and other infrastructure that have shaped the state. The announcement comes as a measure to honor the engineering community and allow them a day to "chill and rewind old memories." In a less celebratory development, the state continues to be battered by landslides and heavy rainfall. A massive landslide triggered by relentless overnight rain has completely snapped the vital Phidang–Sangklang road in North Sikkim, effectively cutting off Upper Dzongu from the rest of the state. The collapse, which caused an entire stretch of a hillside to cave in, has stranded commuters and disrupted daily life in one of Sikkim's most isolated regions. The Sikkim State Disaster Management Authority (SSDMA) has issued an urgent public advisory and a red alert, warning of heightened risks in several locations and urging residents to avoid travel through landslide-prone zones unless absolutely necessary. The state's vulnerability to such disasters was tragically highlighted a day earlier when a panchayat president was killed in a landslip in the Gyalshing district. The continuous rain has made rescue and road-clearing operations challenging, but the Sikkim Police and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have been working tirelessly to clear debris and restore road links. The dual focus on recognizing the contributions of its engineers and responding to the state's severe weather challenges underscores the complex and multi-faceted nature of governance in Sikkim.