Sikkim: Virtual oath-taking ceremony for Geyzing Nagar Panchayat

Gangtok: Elections and the ensuing victory can be a spectacle to watch, a show of strength and as in the neighbourhood, violence. But in West Sikkim, the District Magistrate Karma R. Bonpo was strict in compliance with COVID protocol, as the oath-taking ceremony for Geyzing Nagar Panchayat took place virtually.

A stricter reason was there to adhere to, as the newly elected Geyzing Nagar Panchayat President Devendra Prasad Sharma had tested COVID-19 positive, a day before.

The DC had an innovative solution to the same, oath-taking can happen without all the hula-hoop. Certainly, these are desperate times with the pandemic.

Also read: Sikkim records one fatality and 230 new COVID-19 cases

Karma R. Bonpo nominated Devendra Prasad Sharma as the president and Laki Doma Bhutia as the vice-president of Gyalshing Nagar Panchayat with the consent of all five elected members.  

Speaking with EastMojo, Bonpo stated, “Councillor 1, the President-elect had tested positive so we didn’t want to infect others with the virus. All the candidates had agreed to this, as Sharma’s RT PCR report had come only last evening. We all collectively thought that it was wise to do the oath-taking ceremony virtually.

There was also limited time for the ceremony, we couldn’t postpone it. They connected from their own devices. There were no hassles in the entire ceremony. Due to the need, we had to do it”.