Passingdang BAC advances ‘Connect to Earth’ vision with plantation of over 500 GI-tagged Dalle Khorsani seedlings

GANGTOK,: The Block Administrative Centre Passingdang, Dzongu on Monday undertook the plantation of more than 500 seedlings of Dalle Khorsani, the celebrated GI-tagged “Round Chilly revered across Sikkim for its fiery pungency, distinctive flavour and deep cultural significance.

The plantation drive, carried out by officials and administrative staff members within the BAC premises of private land holdings, formed part of the continuing “Connect to Earth” initiative envisioned by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang-Golay and actively guided by minister-cum-Area MLA Pintso Namgyal Lepcha, whose sustained emphasis on ecological restoration, productive utilisation of barren lands and revival of traditional agricultural practices has inspired several community-oriented green initiatives across the region.

Adding to the significance of the programme, potatoes cultivated during the previous phase of the “Connect to Earth” campaign were also harvested from the same plot. Officials described the yield as highly encouraging, particularly in view of the limited resources and voluntary efforts invested by the staff during the earlier cultivation cycle, a press release informs.

Widely regarded as an indispensable element of Sikkimese cuisine and identity, Dalle Khorsani symbolises not merely a crop but a living expression of the State’s rich agrarian heritage. Officials noted that initiatives of this nature seek to preserve those traditions at a time when rapid modernisation and changing lifestyles continue to distance communities from farming and the natural environment.

The continuing efforts of BAC Passingdang are increasingly emerging as a noteworthy model of participatory governance, where public institutions themselves become active custodians of environmental sustainability, climate consciousness and community-led rural transformation, the release mentions.

The Passingdang BAC thanked Agriculture deputy director Padam Gurung and Kursong Lepcha (field assistant), for helping them in need of inputs.