CHAMLING ON 36-DAY ‘MEET-THE-PEOPLE’ MISSION

SIKKIM OBSERVER   Vol 20 No 14 Page 1 May 21 2011

CHAMLING ON 36-DAY ‘MEET-THE-PEOPLE’ MISSION

Observer News Service

Gangtok, May 20: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s 36-day marathon tour of the State, which began from his home constituency in South Sikkim, aims to bring the administration to the doorsteps of the people with the objective of getting a first hand information about their “problems, grievances” and aspirations.

The Chief Minister began his tour on May 17 after offering prayers at the newly-built Sirdhi Sai temple at Assangthang in Namchi. The day ended at Char Dham temple at Solopphok (Namchi). During the day the Chief Minister and his entourage visited Assangthang, Raika Gaon, Salghari, Chisopani, Nandu Gaon and Denchung.

“The Chief Minister was making person to person contact, interacting with them at all the places he visited. He also informed that this is the first time ever in India that such an innovative programme of bringing the government to know about the problems and grievances of the people and general public has come to their doorsteps,” an IPR release said.

On the third day of the tour at Mikhola, the Chief Minister said, “We have come to learn from you where our weakness lies.” He added, “Inspite of the fact we have all the required facilities and infrastructure” there is still “poverty” in the State.

During the tour Chamling gave patient hearings to the problems and grievances of the general public convincing the people about the various schemes and the programmes of the Government, the release said.

During his tour Chamling, accompanied by ministers and top civil servants, interacted with the people at all places and personally enquired about the problems they faced.

The Chief Minister informed the people that such person-to-person contact programme was done for the first time in the country. During the visit, the Chief Minister made several on-the-spot announcements of development schemes for the people.

Editorial

CENTRE’S ‘NO’

Taxing Times For Sikkim

The Centre’s recent decision not to grant income tax exemption to non-Sikkimese who were settled in Sikkim before the ‘merger’ in 1975 comes at a time when the business community in the State is faced with a burden of having to pay heavy taxes to the State exchequer under numerous heads such as trade licence, hotel tax etc. The Chamling Government’s recent initiatives to cater to the growing needs and insecurities of ‘old settlers’ in Sikkim, many of whom are plainspeople, have faced stiff opposition. While the Union Finance Ministry has closed the chapter on the issue of IT extension to the ‘left out’ persons, Opposition parties’ recent opposition to the Chamling Government’s readiness to issue ‘pink cards’ to ‘Sikkim subjects’ has forced the administration to keep the issue in abeyance.

Critics of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front in Sikkim believe that in the name of issuing ‘pink cards’ to bonafide Sikkimese who possess genuine Sikkim Subject Certificate and grant of income tax exemption to those whose names were ‘left out’ from the Sikkim Subjects Registrar, a document containing a list of ‘Sikkim Subjects’ maintained during the Chogyal’s rule in Sikkim,  a host of non-Sikkimese and foreign nationals would stand to greatly benefit from these initiatives, threatening the political and economic rights and interests of bonafide Sikkimese who possess genuine Sikkim Subject Certificate and who belong to the three ethnic communities – Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese of Sikkimese origin.

   The Chamling Government wants tax exemption for members of old business community and farmers who were permanently settled in Sikkim before 1961. It has also demanded that government servants who were in government service before 1969 also be granted income tax exemption. However, the Centre is not ready to comply with Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s demand. “It will not be advisable now to reopen a subject which had been concluded after 18 years of negotiation with consensus,” the letter from the Union Finance Ministry  to Prem Goyal, Chief Coordinator of Nagarik Sangharsh Samiti, who has been pursuing the issue, said. It added that because of this “it would not be feasible to include non-Sikkimese” under the ambit of income tax exemptions provided to bonafide Sikkimese who were regarded as “Sikkim Subjects” during the Chogyal era before Sikkim’s absorption into the Indian Union in 1975.

PRIDE OF SIKKIM

TNA student topper at Mayo College

Observer News Service

Gangtok, May 20: Deepika Agarwal, an ex-student of the State’s prestigious Tashi Namgyal Academy (TNA), has become the “school topper” in the class 12 (Indian School Certificate) board examination at Mayo College Girls School, Ajmer.

She scored 97.75% in the commerce stream and topped her class. This has brought “glory, joy and pride” to her parents, TNA and the State as a whole.

Deepika scored 100% in Accounts, 99% in Mathematics, 97% in English, 95 % in Commerce and 94% in Economics.

Deepika joined Mayo College after completing her class 10 at TNA in 2009. She hails from a family belonging to the old business community in the State. Daughter of Bramanand Agarwal and grand daughter of late Tarachand Agarwal, Deepika’s family has been residing in Sikkim for more than 100 years.

Chamling faces twin setback: pink card proposal shelved, income tax demand rejected

Jigme N Kazi

Gangtok: While the Chamling Government’s claim on economic empowerment of the people may be debatable, politically Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who has been in power for the fourth consecutive term since 1994, has recently faced two significant setbacks.

Firstly, the Centre has turned down the State Government’s demand for income-tax exemption for pre-merger settlers in the State who do not possess the Sikkim Subject Certificate (SSC), an authentic document issued to ‘Sikkim Subjects’ by the Chogyal’s durbar as a proof of their nationality.

Secondly, the Chamling Government’s bid to issue ‘pink card’ to bonafide Sikkimese, who possess genuine Sikkim Subject Certificate, has also been shelved due to strong opposition by Opposition parties, including the Congress party, in the State.

   The Chamling Government wants tax exemption for members of old business community and farmers who were permanently settled in Sikkim before 1961. It has also demanded that government servants, who were in government service before 1969, also be granted income tax exemption. To put more pressure on the Centre on the issue the State Assembly recently passed a resolution demanding income tax exemption to ‘old settlers’ in the State at par with the Sikkimese who possess Sikkim Subject Certificate.

    However, the Centre is not ready to comply with Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s demand. “It will not be advisable now to reopen a subject which had been concluded after 18 years of negotiation with consensus,” the letter from the Union Finance Ministry  to Prem Goyal, Chief Coordinator of Nagarik Sangharsh Samiti, who has been pursuing the issue with the Centre, said. It added that because of this “it would not be feasible to include non-Sikkimese” under the ambit of income tax exemptions provided to bonafide Sikkimese who were regarded as “Sikkim Subjects” during the Chogyal era.

    Local Sikkimese fear that Chamling is wooing non-Sikkimese as he has lost the confidence of bonafide Sikkimese in the State who feel that ‘outsiders’ have largely benefited from the State’s development activities. The Chamling Government’s recent initiatives to cater to the growing needs and insecurities of ‘old settlers’ in Sikkim, many of whom are plainspeople, have faced stiff opposition.

While the Union Finance Ministry has closed the chapter on the issue of IT extension to the ‘left out’ persons, Opposition parties’ recent opposition to the Chamling Government’s readiness to issue ‘pink cards’ to ‘Sikkim subjects’ has forced the administration to keep the issue in abeyance.

Critics of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in Sikkim believe that in the name of issuing ‘pink cards’ to bonafide Sikkimese, who possess genuine Sikkim Subject Certificate, a host of non-Sikkimese and foreign nationals would stand to greatly benefit from this initiative, threatening the political and economic rights and interests of bonafide Sikkimese who belong to the three ethnic communities – Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalese of Sikkimese origin.

   Opposition parties have demanded names of 31,180 ‘fake’ Sikkim Subject Certificate (SSC) holders in the State to be made public. They allege that the Chamling Government is determined to issue ‘pink cards’ to holders of fake Sikkim Subject Certificate, ostensibly in the name of bonafide Sikkimese, in order to give them income tax exemption at par with former ‘Sikkim Subjects.”

“Five years have gone but the people holding the fake papers have not been brought to justice or the false certificates revoked,” said Biraj Adhikari, President of Sikkim National People’s Party (SNPP).

Adhikari and other Opposition leaders, including State BJP President Padam Chettri and Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party (SHRPP) President AD Subba, are convinced of the State Government’s “hidden agenda” in the pink-card episode.

Chamling, while defending his government’s initiative on the issue, said the objective of the ‘pink card’ exercise is to safeguard the rights and identity of bonafide Sikkimese who are now said to be less than 50 per cent of the State’s six lakh population.

Guv backs CM on inclusion of ‘Sikkim’ in national anthem

Observer News Service

Gangtok, May 20: Chief Minister Pawan Chamling’s efforts towards Sikkim’s “emotional integration” with the mainstream received a big boost with Governor BP Singh endorsing his move to replace ‘Sindh’ with ‘Sikkim’ in the national anthem.

“I support the Chief Ministers contention of Sikkim to be a part of National Anthem,” the Governor during the 36^th State Day function here on May 16.

The Governor was referring to the suggestion put forward by the Chief Minister to substitute the word ‘Sindh’ in the national anthem with the word ‘Sikkim’. The Chief Minister had said that in the changed circumstances, Sikkim richly deserves this recognition to further promote a sense of emotional integration with India, an IPR release said.

 Sikkim was a Buddhist kingdom ruled by the Chogyals (kings) of the Namgyal Dynasty since 1642 before it became a part of India in 1975.

Article 371F of the Constitution, which provides special status to the State, was inserted into the Constitution during the merger in April-May, 1975.