Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Golay accompanied by RMDD Minister Sonam Lama made a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and congratulated him for leading the BJP party to a spectacular majority for second consecutive term.
He submitted that this phenomenal victory is reflective of the unanimous endorsement of the people of India towards the Prime Minister’s far-sighted social-economic and political policies that was initiated and instituted in 2014.
Chief minister Golay updated the Prime Minister on various pending issues of Sikkim and sought his intervention in ensuring its early resolutions. He elaborated on Article 371 F of the Constitution and said that Article 371 F of the Constitution of India is the greatest gift to the Sikkimese people which needs to be preserved, protected and implemented, both in letter and spirit.
He further expressed his confidence towards the Prime Minister that his second term shall definitely ensure ways and means to further strengthen and stabilize this glaring feature of the Constitution which in turn is to strengthen our Constitutional frameworks.
He further made it clear that the political rights of the Sikkimese Limboo – Tamang tribes must be ensured at the earliest possible.
He reiterated that despite the lapse of all these many years, Limboo and Tamang still remain deprived from accomplishing their political rights Vis-à-vis- Limboo Tamang seat reservation in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.
Prime Minister remarked that it was owing to the faulty and unstable stand of the hitherto State government that this long pending demand remained unsettled. He however assured to work on it in coordination with the new SKM government for early fruition.
The Prime Minister was quick to respond positively on Chief Minister’s presentation towards inclusion of the eleven left out communities of Sikkim namely, Rai, Gurung, Mangar, Bhujel, Sunwar-Mukhia, Thami, Yakha(Dewan), Khas, Newar, Jogi and Sanyasi in the list of Scheduled Tribes. The Chief Minister has sought necessary amendments in the existing legislations to pave way for inclusion of these eleven left out communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes given Sikkim’s peculiar position in the country which is primarily governed by Article 371 F.
Prime Minister was most sympathetic on the Chief Minister’s elaboration on the State’s dwindling financial status which is virtually bankrupt and drowned into debt.
He further informed the Prime Minister that the circumstances turned from bad to worst owing to the huge loans acquired by a large number of hydro power projects against the State’s guarantee from various financial institutions. Interestingly, Teesta Urja Hydro Project obtained a loan of Rs 11,020 crores from a financial institution against State guarantee.
Pertinent to mention here, some of these projects are already closed down for reasons best known to either such projects or the then Chief Minister Pawan Chamling.